Dragon Ball Yugure Z
by Son Goharotto
Summary: [Under Revision] Time is not a singular course. The flow of events stem from our own decisions. In this bleak reality, the hero known as Goku is but a ghost of a man. What was the cause? [New: ep01 to ep03 revised]
1. Episode 01

**Dragon Ball Yugure Z by Son Goharotto**

Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. The series is currently undergoing its second revision. Nothing major, I just felt the need to take out all that sloppy 'otaku japanese'. I disliked having to look up words after re-reading my own stories, so it should now be that much easier to follow.

DISCLAIMER: As much as I might wish it otherwise, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama, TOEI, FUNimation, et cetera ad nauseam. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.

WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language, graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.

"Spoken Dialogue"

"'Layered Voice, _a la_ Fusion'"

/Foreign Language/

_Thoughts, Memories, and Telepathy_

**Volume I – The Nagareboshi Saga**

**Episode 01 – The Haunting Nightmare! An Unlikely Trio!**

Silence. Nothing but silence.

_It's always the same._

"FaaatthhHEEERRRRR!"

_No..._

Silence.

_NO!_

Again, it comes. The images. A grave of thousands. The tournament grounds lay in ruins. Mangled, charred corpses litter the stands; the innocent struck down where they stood. And then...

There, in the middle of the arena, a smoking crater. He lies motionless. Lifeless. Clothes tattered and blood-stained, body beaten and bleeding. His right arm is twisted grotesquely, broken in several places. Breathing comes in labored gasps, his lungs caged in by broken ribs. His young, boyish face bruised and swollen.

But his eyes. Eyes that stare wide into the night sky. Even with the glaze of unconsciousness, the emotion behind those two midnight orbs speaks volumes. An ambiguous tale, joy and accomplishment side by side with sorrow and loss. And in the end, oblivion.

"I'm sorry, father... I failed..."

Silence.

The beast. A hideous monster filled with an unquenchable greed for power. The boy is defenseless as the beast claims yet another victim. It is over in a moment, the boy gone, his body and soul consumed by the beast. It turns its grimace to the sky and sees me.

"GOHAN! ...You monster... chk, chkg... Gohan... nooo...hn, ch-chkk UWAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

A flash of light and the world is on fire, lightning tears apart the ground as Earth itself trembles. Flashes of energy swallowed up by an unnatural prominence. Everything fades to black and the light is submerged in darkness.

Silence.

_It's always the same..._

-----

A man laid in bed, covered in a cold sweat. He gasped for breath, his thoughts are a jumble of emotions. Fear. Sadness. Anger. All are familiar to him. But, none of them mattered anymore. Nothing does.

"Damn, not again," he croaked. His voice is hoarse and unfamiliar to him. He speaks aloud very little these days. _Tired of havin' the same nightmare over and over. Haven't had a good night's sleep since..._

He stared at the ceiling, struggling to find a happy memory, anything that can ease the racing of his heart. None came, his mind plagued with restlessness. Instead, he thinks--something, he admitted to himself, that he's never been known to do that much of.

The ceiling, he mused. He'd lived under this ceiling as a child, but that was a lifetime ago. He never thought he'd be living here again. When he first came back, he was mildly surprised to find that it was still standing. It was of sturdy, traditional construction, but still very old, something his grandfather built.

Restless, he tossed aside the sheets, damp with sweat. Standing up, his left knee creaked audibly. He went through a brief exercise, his movements mechanical by force of habit. When activity didn't stifle his unease, the man sat down by the low table in the middle of the one room house and drank deeply from a gourd of water.

On the edge of the table, a faded photo lied forgotten in its splintering frame. He picked it up to look at it. The glass was cracked and smudged, but his Saiyan eyes could still make out the faces. I was so young then, he would have said, but didn't; age meant little to his race. In the photo, his jet black hair was sticking out wildly, as opposed to now, which was more along the lines of unkempt. In the photo, his arm was slung around the small shoulders of his son in a rough embrace. All his friends were there, the old man, his wife, even Piccolo and Vegeta were present.

Looking at the people he called family, he could feel his throat tighten. He set the photo aside, face down.

With a heavy sigh, he got up and walked across the single room. On the far wall was a teak-wood case with a glass door. Inside hung a small orange gi with the kanji _kame_, "turtle", on its back. A sudden shift in the cloud cover revealed the faint starlight, making the glass door reflective.

For the first time in years, the man who called himself Son Goku saw his own face.

He was older now, no doubt about that. Forty-five or so, he couldn't remember. He never was good with numbers. The few wrinkles he did have around his eyes spoke more of sleepless nights than actual age. Other than a few aches and pains from constant battles, he was still healthy. He ran a hand through his hair, noting how it seemed to be graying in the moonlight. But what attracted Goku's attention was the feature that split his face.

What was considered by some to be a handsome face was marred by a long scar. Running from chin to hairline, the scar broke only just below and above the left eye. A constant reminder of his most crushing defeat.

Disgusted at the memory, the broken warrior walked outside, pulling tattered blue shirt over a torso nicked with scars. The night sky was clear and the stars shone brightly. The sky was beautiful and looking out into space provoked a feeling of insecurity and insignificance, emotions that were, at one time, entirely foreign to the aging warrior.

He began to wonder where 'It' came from. In the vast immensity that is space, which star system, planet or moon, did 'It' call home? Goku thumped his forehead with the heel of his hand, silently berating himself for such foolish thoughts. Yet he continued to wonder...

A sudden feeling of fatigue washing over him, Goku sat down in the dew-wet grass, paying no heed as the moisture soaked into his billowy pants. Leaning back onto his elbows, he just sat. He didn't know how long he had been there, but he was suddenly aware of the sun rising ahead of him in the east.

He watched as the sun cast a golden hue across the sky. The trees, the grass, the towering mountains and rolling hills of Paozu illuminated by the new-day sun. Earth was his home and his mother, a world he had once sworn he would protect, with his life if need be. A world that now bore scars worse than his own.

Claiming a headache to himself, Goku pulled himself to his feet and stumbled groggily into the small house. Dropping into bed, he fell into a restless doze, troubled by the pain of his past.

_It's always the same._

-----

A young man stalked angrily from the small shop. He couldn't believe the exuberant prices these store owners were charging! The bags of food he carried weren't worth half of what he was charged!

"Again?" a young man asked and Goten turned to face the voice. His best friend Trunks stared at him with icy blue eyes through a curtain of lavender hair. "With inflation like this, I'm surprised the Capsule Corp coffers have lasted this long."

"Yeah, I'd like to thank your mother," Goten noted.

"..."

Goten winced and jokingly rapped his knuckles against his head. "Ah, my bad."

"Forget it. We're in the same boat, right?. C'mon, let's go home." Taking a couple of bags from Goten, Trunks turned and lifted off into the air, ignoring the gasps from passersby. Following suit, Goten shot up and followed just behind the lavender-haired Saiyan.

As they flew, Goten's eyes wandered across the city below them. From high up, it seemed desolate. However, the trained eye could spot people scuttling across the streets, going about their business while doing the utmost to avoid being visible from above. They were frightened, as if the very clouds would rain down acid. Even then, sometimes one could spot a reckless child, playing out in the open with the easy ignorance of youth, heedless of the fears that haunt their parents. Goten liked watching these kids, because it proved hope still existed. _To be young... Ha, what'm I talking about, not like fifteen is old._

Finally, they neared the overgrown golden domes of Capsule Corporation. Even up close, it seemed abandoned. The main compound and many other secondary buildings were completely demolished; no evident attempts of repair could be seen. But if one were to travel to the back, one would find some few intact structures. Numbering no more than three, they included a small laboratory, what appeared to be a derelict spaceship, and the living quarters where Trunks and Goten were headed.

The two touched down and entered the apartments through a side door into the kitchenette. "We're home!" Trunks called, setting down his bags next to Goten's. Having recieved no response, "Papa!"

"I'll look for him," Goten offered. He jogged back outside and took to the air, quickly scanning the area. Seeing a soft rudy glow emanating from the windows of the spaceship, he zipped around to the entrance.

The spaceship, looking quiet neglected from the exterior, was actually well-maintained as a training room for its gravity manipulator. Dirty, cracked walls were merely a camoflague hiding the sturdy, reinforced walls that had protected it from destruction. As oft occupied as the kitchen, Goten and Trunks had spent many years inside its thick walls, honing skills for a battle they didn't quite understand.

Landing on a support beam, Goten peeked inside one of the circular windows. Within, Vegeta–by far the eldest of the group–was furiously sparring with his shadow, a look of rage on his face. Deciding that disturbing the warrior would be suicide, Goten quietly slinked away. For reasons unknown to the teen, Vegeta sometimes had moments of intense pique that were always best avoided by his young charges.

Back inside the kitchen, Trunks was busy organizing the groceries. Fruit and vegetables in the refrigerator, bread and rice in the cuboards. Obviously the work of the obsessive compulsive. Vegeta may be the alpha male of their little pack, but Trunks is king in the kitchen. Whistling a little tune as he worked, he glided around the kitchen like a pro, preparing the evening meal. Using an arm to sweep some empty candy wrappers--one of his father's many vices--into the trash, he pauses at an unexpected clatter. Reaching into the trash, Trunks pulled out one of his mother's last creations: a Scouter.

Many years ago, she had worked hard to recreate such advanced technology to help in a past battle. Trunks vaguely recalled seeing his mother from his crib, tirelessly working on such projects. One day, Vegeta had been using the Scouter and Trunks was curious enough inquire of its purpose. Instead of harsh remark or barked command to resume training, Vegeta was quiet, as if saddened. Calmly explaining it could see things they could not, Vegeta almost avoided mentioning that Bulma had fashioned it. In fact, Trunks mused, the few times his father did speak of his mate, the Saiyan spoke only insults, cursing her for ugliness, or stupidity, or any number of things the two boys suspected to be quite the opposite.

Returning to the present, Trunks slipped it into his pocket and walked outside, heading towards the lab. Turning a corner, he jumped back, suddenly faced with the carcas of a giant saurian, sans head. Vegeta's contribution to dinner, no doubt. With civilization pushed back by the apocalypse, the great beasts of nature retook much of their former territory and the three Saiyans were never wanting for a feast. Trunks contemplated what to do with it as he circled the dead beast and entered the laboratory.

The interior was dark and would have been pitch black if not for the faint glow of the few machines they did know how to use. Automatically reaching for the switch, Trunks flicked on the master lights, instantly illuminating the room in a bath of white florescent light. Several bulbs were missing and more than a few flickered uncertainly. He crossed the room to the work bench, passing the regeneration tank and a rack of fighting jackets; more of his mother's inventions. After removing the device from his pocket, he set it down on the table, not immediately noticing the photograph that fell to the floor.

Bending over to retrieve it, Trunks held it gently with a faraway look on his face. It was a couple, and not one he was unfamiliar with. In the photo, a man with long spiked locks had a young blue-haired woman in a bear hug, giving the surprised girl a predatory grin that Trunks suspected had little to do with eating. Well, not food anyway. A personal moment to be sure, but it was also the only image of his mother that Trunks possessed. Needless to say, it was quite precious to him.

A head of wild black hair poked through the doorway, and Goten smiled. "Found 'em."

"Training?" Trunks asked, tucking the photo back into his pocket.

"Yeah, but if he's as hungry as I am, he'll be finishing up soon," Goten grinned.

"Roger that. Do me a favor: fillet that damn beast out back and stick as much as you can in cold storage, I don't want it exposed to the weather like that."

"Sure thing," Goten hurried away.

Crossing back to the entrance, Trunks gave the room one last nostalgic sigh and flicked off the lights.

-----

At dinner, no one spoke. As the fashion of their culture, the three Saiyans ate quickly and excessively. It wasn't unusual for plates and bowls to be emptied in seconds. But tonight, Goten seemed without appetite. The young half-Saiyan poked idly at the food on his plate, lost in thought. Finally, Goten broke the silence. "Who were my parents?"

Vegeta continued to eat.

"Uncle–"

"I heard you."

"Soooo... who were they?" Goten said, trying to act nonchalant.

Vegeta looked up, staring into Goten's eyes. For a brief moment, the Prince of the Saiyans looked almost pained. "A...a low class warrior and his human mate," came the reply.

"That's all?" Goten pressed anxiously.

Vegeta said nothing, his obsidian-black eyes staring into Goten's own, boring into the back of his mind. Surprisingly, the prince looked away first, turning again to his meal.

No one said anything for the rest of the night. After dinner, Vegeta and Trunks went to bed, though the former would be up much sooner. Goten, however, stayed up late, watching the stars.


	2. Episode 02

**Dragon Ball Yugure Z by Son Goharotto**

Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. The series is currently undergoing its second revision. Nothing major, I just felt the need to take out all that sloppy 'otaku japanese'. I disliked having to look up words after re-reading my own stories, so it should now be that much easier to follow.

DISCLAIMER: As much as I might wish it otherwise, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama, TOEI, FUNimation, et cetera ad nauseam. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.

WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language, graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.

"Spoken Dialogue"

"'Layered Voice, _a la_ Fusion'"

/Foreign Language/

_Thoughts, Memories, and Telepathy_

**Volume I – The Nagareboshi Saga**

**Episode 02 – Meeting For The First Time! A Violent Encounter!**

It was nearly midday when Goku was forced to wake again. The light of the sun angling just so, it peered through the window and penetrated the fabric pulled over his head. Goku was caught in the familiar act of tossing aside the sheets when a deafening rumble erupted from his stomach.

"I'm starved..."

Goku scratched his stomach with one hand as he covered a yawn with the other. He heaved himself out of bed and walked across the room to a large chest. Taking out some clothes, he pulled on his usual orange gi. It was pretty much the only clothing he had. What was once comforting to don now only reminded him of painful memories. He covered up the clan kanji by slipping on an old, worn jacket, setting it in place over his shoulders with a shrug.

The air outside was crisp as Goku walked through the door, taking in a deep breath. Normally, he enjoyed days like this. They were excellent for sparring, not that he had anyone to spar with. Far and away from any civilization, Son Gohan's pagoda offered a training ground void of distraction. Goku's eyes wandered the scenery, unconsciously skirting around the abandoned lot where he had once lived with his wife and son. Now there was nothing but the foundations, everything else having been moved upon Chi-Chi's insistence farther north, closer to major roadways.

Goku sighed and pushed off from the ground, heading west and slightly north to the nearest remaining city. As he flew, Goku dug around in his jacket pockets and sure enough, there was some money; perhaps remnants of his winnings from the 23rd Tenka'ichi Budokai. He started buying food instead of hunting for it not long after...

He decided he would got to a restaurant today, though there weren't that many left. He needed a change of scenery. The mountains of Paozu reminded him too much of his family.

His family. Goku remembered the first time he went flying with Chi-Chi. Not on Kinto'un which unfortunately, seemed to be ignoring his summons. It was on their wedding night. Goku had just taken his wife into his arms and flew off, wanting his bride to see the world the way he saw it. Chi-Chi was scared out of her wits at first, but as they passed over the ocean, she grew solemn. The moonlight was shimmering on the roiling surface of the ocean and the sky was clear, the light of the stars illuminating them both...

"_Goku..."_

_"Yeah, Chi-Chi?"_

_"Goku, this is so beautiful. Thank you..."_

_"What's wrong Chi-Chi? We're married, just like you want. Ain't you happy? I thought–"_

_"I am! It's just...we'll probably never spend a night like this again..."_

_"What d'ya mean?"_

_"I... I have this feeling. Like you'll be gone, leaving me all alone..."_

_"Naw, I won't do that."_

_"How can you be so sure of everything? I wish I was as strong as you. I wish–"_

_With a sob, Chi-Chi buried her head in Goku's chest and proceeded to cry. He stopped in midair to comfort his wife. "Shhh, Chi-Chi, don't cry!" he murmured stroking her hair. Eventually, Chi-Chi's weeping subsided and she looked up at him._

_"...Goku– _"

But the memory faded as Goku arrived at West City. It was devastated from the monster's attack, the skeletons of once tall skyscrapers standing as silent monoliths. They towered over the 'suburb' that was set up for refugees at the city limits. Rows of nothing ran through the city, lined on either side by empty, broken buildings, looking for all the world like a procession of the dead.

Touching down, Goku walked through the doors of a bar-and-grill into the inviting glow, head hanging solemnly.

-----

The sun was high in the sky; late morning enroaching on noon. Goten ambled down a dirty street, not paying attention to the bustle about him. Breakfast at Capsule Corp had been the usual awkward affair. He was tired and irritable from having his questions remained unanswered and was still in a bad mood, just waiting for a fight.

Walking past a small restaurant, Goten collided roughly with a man exiting.

"Hey, idiot, watch where you're going!" Goten blurted. He immediately wished he hadn't when the man turned to face him. He was a head-and-a-half taller than Goten and had a wicked scar across the left side of his face. Goten couldn't sense any power coming from him, but the man's very presence was overwhelming.

Goku leveled a stare at the teen, appraising him with tired, bloodshot eyes. There was something familiar in the shocked visage, but the Saiyan brushed it off. When the teen failed to speak, he grunted and turned to leave, mumbling incoherently.

Still a bit peeved, Goten scratched the back of his head, darkly muttering, "Piece of trash!"

Goku turned back, the mischievous glint returning to his eye. "I heard that," he remarked with a hint of fire in his voice. "Watch yourself, brat. I'm not in the mood."

"Spare me, old man. Now outta my way!" Goten barked, attempting to push past the man.

The scarred man planted his palm against Goten's chest and pushed, forcing the teen back half a dozen paces. "Someone should teach you not to talk like that to your elders," Goku drawled with a smirk. Something had clicked, bringing back a vigor he hadn't felt in years.

"That so? We'll see!" Forgetting himself, Goten threw a punch aimed at the older man's head. Goku easily caught it. "What the?"

He quickly pulled back and struck out at random, each blow deftly avoided. Goten wasn't using anything even close to his full strength, but even a fraction of Saiyan speed should have been more than any human could handle. Surprised, Goten mixed up his attack with a roundhouse kick. Goku stopped it with his forearm and drove his fist into the teen's stomach. Goten fell back, landing on his butt, gasping for breath.

"Winded already?"

"N-nice–shot!" Goten coughed, trying to catch his breath. He got to his feet and dusted himself off. "I'd–like to–see you–try that again."

And he did.

Goten found the man standing next to him, his fist buried up to the wrist in his stomach. _By Kami! He's fast!_

The teen warrior slapped his hands down on Goku's shoulders, driving the older man's feet into the ground and using the leverage to spring-board over him. He spun and drove his heel between the Goku's shoulder blades. Shrugging it off, the scarred warrior leapt, swinging his leg around to connect with Goten's shoulder. Goten flew through the restaurant, smashing through walls and startling patrons, but immediately performed a hand-spring, landed on his feet, and launched into the air.

Following him up, Goku covered his move with a ki blast. Goten swatted it away, only to find Goku right in his face. Barely defending a jab, Goten countered with a right cross, which Goku easily caught.

Unable to pull his hand from the man's grasp, Goten realized his mistake. Goku swung a close-fisted backhand into Goten's ribs, elbow-jabbed him in the chin, and backhanded him again, this time in the face. Spinning with the force of the blow, Goten wrenched his arm from Goku's grasp. He recovered, kneeing the older man in the face, then following up with an axe kick.

_He's got some talent,_ Goku thought with amusement as he flew through the air.

Goten suddenly appeared just ahead of him. Clasping his hands together, Goten swung them down in an overhead smash, but Goku caught them and used the momentum to flip over, smashing his shin between Goten's shoulder and neck, sending him crashing into the ground twenty stories below. He tried to rise, but Goku landed on him, smashing his feet into the young man's spine. Dazed with pain, Goten coughed up some blood.

Goku reached down, grasping Goten's hair, and yanked him up. "You through?"

"Not a–chance," Goten gasped, coughing up more blood. He seized Goku's fist and pulled up his legs, driving both feet into the man's face. Goku stumbled and Goten's Saiyan reflexes kicked in. He performed a mid-air turn and kicked hard into Goku's chest, sending him flying into a condemned building. Steel beams and concrete bricks crashed around him in a dusty pile.

Goten nearly collapsed, barely able to stand, clouds swirling around him. He put his full force into that last kick and now he was paying for it. Ankle sprained, his foot hurt something awful; as if he had kicked a mountain. As he righted himself, something clicked in Goten's mind. _Hold on a minute..._

Debris littered the ground and fell from the air. As the dust settled, an eerie calm fell over the battlefield. Goten realized he wasn't breathing. He winced at the pain in his ankle as he resumed a fighting stance and began gathering ki.

Reflecting momentarily on his 'victory', Goten realized that the man had been pulling his punches. The man's skill hid it at first, but the ease of his abilities didn't match the strength being used. Goten wasn't at all surprised when the man's ki jumped as the building exploded every which way. Goten watched in horror as Goku's ki settled at level far higher than his own, a red battle aura flaring about the man like a super nova.

A smirk spread across Goku's face. He hadn't used the Kaiou-Ken technique in years. The 'Fist of the Worlds' technique became useless after he attained the Super Saiyan state, but this kid was really pushing him and he deserved a little something extra. _Amazing,_ he thought. _Brat's tenacious. He fights like Vegeta._

"Im-impossible! He's too strong!" Goten growled between clenched teeth. "You MONSTER!" Goten launched his attack, a massive ki beam that tore through the air, ripping up the ground below.

Goku thrust his hands forward, his battle cry drowned out by the roar of the blast. Goten's attack exploded upon impact, creating a shockwave that pushes back against him. As the ringing cleared in Goten's ears, he strained to see the results of his attack.

"Yeowch!" Goku exclaimed. He stood half crouched, with both hands locked about a foot from his face, palms red from the heat of the blast. He let the burning aura fade for the moment. "Haha! 'Zat all?" he asked, smirk held firm. "Let me show you how it's done!"

Cupping his hands over each other, Goku pulled them to his side, concentrating his ki between them. "Kaaaaa... meeeee..."

"W-w-whoa!" Goten stuttered, "Who is this guy?"

"Haaaaa... meeeee..."

As a last ditch effort, Goten gathered more ki on the off-chance that he could counter the man's own attack.

"HAAAAA!"


	3. Episode 03

**Dragon Ball Yugure Z by Son Goharotto**

Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. The series is currently undergoing its second revision. Nothing major, I just felt the need to take out all that sloppy 'otaku japanese'. I disliked having to look up words after re-reading my own stories, so it should now be that much easier to follow.

DISCLAIMER: As much as I might wish it otherwise, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama, TOEI, FUNimation, et cetera ad nauseam. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.

WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language, graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.

"Spoken Dialogue"

"'Layered Voice, _a la_ Fusion'"

/Foreign Language/

_Thoughts, Memories, and Telepathy_

**Volume I – The Nagareboshi Saga**

**Episode 03 – Friend Or Foe! Why Are You So Angry, Vegeta?**

"HAAAAA!" Goku's voice echoed around them both as he thrust his hands forwards, one inverted over the other, and fired a beam, casting a perfect blue radiance across aggressor and target alike.

Goten summoned his ki into a less magnificent blast, which was ultimately ineffective, being swallowed up by the Kamehameha. Not willing to give in, the younger warrior held his ground, his opponent's beam now only inches from his hands. Resisting Goku's onslaught, Goten was pushed back several meters and through a new construction site, digging trenches with his aching feet.

Feeling his strength waning, Goten pushed off, flipping forward over the beam, letting it pass harmlessly by. But as Goten righted himself in the air, Goku was there, fist drawn back.

Goten was caught off guard as Goku slammed his fist into the teen's face. Pushed by the force of the blow, he flew backwards only to meet Goku's knee in the small of his back. Goku whipped his leg around, heel digging into Goten's side, sending him flying off again. The Kaiou-Ken flashed once more as Goku shot forwards to met his opponent for another blow.

Goten didn't know how long he hung in the air, too dazed to note the passage of time, but he was suddenly stopped as Goku's palm slammed into his chest. He hardly felt it however, his body long since numb. Goku twisted his hand, grabbing a handful of Goten's tattered shirt so he wouldn't fall.

Goku let his battle aura fade as he set down on the ground, propping Goten against the fragmented remains of a wall that managed to continue standing. "Animal," the beaten youth accused, "Demon. W-what are you? Who are you?"

Goku looked into the young man's dark eyes. He fought with such spirit, it reminded him of Gohan. _In fact...this kid looks kinda like–_but Goku let that thought slide for now. Not wanting to depart as enemies, Goku put on his warmest smile. "My name's Son Goku. Nice to meet'ya." He clasped Goten's arm and hauled the teen to his feet.

Goten was crushed at his defeat, but it was tough to stay angry at a guy who looked so air-headed after winning. "Easy for you to say, you didn't lose. I'm Goten." He winced at the pain that accompanied standing.

"Sorry. I didn't wanna hurt you, but..." He shrugged sheepishly, palms up.

"Forget about it," the younger man laughed, "I guess I deserved it, acting like a dumbass."

"Hm, know what? Maybe you can help me out. Do you know where I can find a guy named Vegeta. Kinda short, asparagus-lookin' haircut, bad attitude."

"Yeah, that's Vegeta all right. You know him?"

"Yup," Goku responded, looking thoughtful for a moment, "We need to talk. Even more now, than before. Where'd you say I can find him?"

"I didn't. Usually somewhere around Capsule Corp."

"Thanks," Goku said as he flew off. "Later!" he called back.

Goten gave the older man a weary wave, then leaned back against the wall to catch his breathe. Somebody that strong, it's no wonder he know Vegeta. Can't be too many fighters like us left on Earth. But...what if he wants to fight? Goten pounded the ground impotently, too winded to follow at the moment. "Where the hell is Trunks when I need him?"

Not a minute passed when Trunks arrived, flying in at full-tilt. "Goten! What happened!"

"I got pummeled, that's what happened!" he called back, coughing up more blood. The inside of his mouth was chewed up, like he'd gargled razor blades. Goten got shakily to his feet, hand on the wall for support. "Why weren't you here earlier!" he demanded.

"I'm sorry. I sensed two big ki's flare up, but when I realized that you were one of them, it was too late! Here, eat this Senzu." Trunks offered him the bean.

Goten ate the Senzu feeling his wounds heal and his strength return. "We gotta go! Hurry!" he said, jumping up into the air.

"What's up?"

"Goku went to see your father! Vegeta could be in big trouble!" Goten rambled out, biting off the words in his haste.

"Whoa, slow down! Who's this Goku and why might he want to fight Papa?" Trunks demanded, flying up to Goten's level.

"Look, I can't say for sure. But as for who he is, he's the one who kicked my butt!" Goten explained, punctuating his statement by thumbing himself in the chest.

The two took off at full speed, but it would still be several minutes before they returned home and Goten knew that Goku was a hell of a lot faster than either of them.

"Wouldn't I have seen him pass me?" Trunks called over the rush of the wind. "Maybe he's not going to go to Capsule Corp today!"

"I wouldn't bet on it! That guy's faster than the eye can follow! I wouldn't be surprised at all if he passed within centimeters of you and you didn't even notice!"

Trunks looked visibly shocked at this news. His face took on a worried expression, whether from doubts at his father needing help or if he could help Vegeta at all.

-----

Goku touched down in a grassy lot behind Capsule Corporation and surveyed they damage. _Kami, what a mess,_ he thought, _I shoulda been here._ Unable to sense Vegeta's ki, Goku cupped his hands over his mouth and called out. "Veeegeeetaaa! Where are you!"

"I'm right here, jackass! You don't have to yell!" came the immediate response. Vegeta strode out of a shadow to stop a couple feet from Goku. Crossing his arms, Vegeta lifted his head, a scowl on his face. "What do you want, Kakarrot?"

"Hey, Vegeta. You're gettin' good at hiding your ki, I had trouble finding–"

"If that's all you have to say, leave! I don't want you here any longer than you have to be!"

"Why, that's real mean Vegeta!" Goku said with patience he didn't feel. "Anyway, that's not why I'm here. Um, I ran into this kid–"

"Oh, I know," Vegeta immediately responded, his voice laced with recognizable disdain. "You and Goten were lighting up like signal flares out there! Idiots, the both of you!"

"So you do know him... He's my son, yeah?"

"Hn! You deserve more credit than I give you, Kakarrot. How did you guess?"

"You let it slip last time. I was hardly paying attention to you, so I didn't realize what you meant when you said that you wondered where 'he got his stupidity from'." Goku paused for a breath, that quite possibly being the longest sentence he had ever uttered. "Not until I met Goten today. I never would have figured it out otherwise."

"That's not surprising," Vegeta mocked. "Well congratulations, Kakarrot. What do you want, a cookie? Now go away, I'm not handing out prizes today."

"I want my son, Vegeta."

"Yes, well, you're not getting him. You don't deserve another son."

"Whhaaaat?" Goku cried. Scowling, he stepped forward. "Listen you–"

"What are you going to do, Kakarrot?" Vegeta whirled, leveling a finger at Goku. "You failed with your first son," he declared hotly, "and your mate saw fit to entrust ME with YOUR whelp! You have no right to claim him now!"

Goku was trembling with barely suppressed rage, but he knew–deep down–that Vegeta was right. He was a failure as a father. His clenched fists dropped limply to his side and he looked away, unable to meet Vegeta's accusatory glare. But he wanted to know something first. "When was he born?" he asked meekly.

"Hours before Nagareboshi attacked your mate's home," Vegeta said, his tone softening as well.

"Why would Chi-Chi–" but he couldn't finish the sentence. The thought of his wife giving their newborn, Goku's second chance, to Vegeta of all people!

"Nagareboshi was looking for you, but found us. We all realized his potential, so Bulma convinced me to take your brat instead of her. That stupid woman died because of her mistake..." Vegeta's grimace tightened. "While Nagareboshi was distracted, I escaped–" Vegeta spat at the word "–with Trunks and Goten."

"Thanks, Vegeta --"

"Don't thank me, jackass! I didn't do it for you, I did it for my mate, the fool..." Vegeta turned away. "You should have been there!"

"...I–"

"You were hiding in that little shack of yours!" Vegeta said, again raising his voice. "Coward! Failure! Quitter! There was a time when you would settle for nothing less then victory! Now you're lucky if you can drag yourself out of bed!"

Unable to withstand anymore of Vegeta's verbal abuse, Goku flared his battle aura and shot into the sky, blasting a crater where he had just stood, leaving Vegeta swearing a blue streak. Disgusted, the Prince of the Saiyans turned and proceeded to walk to the high-gravity gym. Goten and Trunks fell out of the air shortly thereafter, their feet smashing into the pavement in their haste.

"Papa!" Trunks called, rushing up to Vegeta. "Are you okay?"

The glare Vegeta shot at his two charges was minimally less threatening than the one he used on Goku. "Get out of my way," he commanded evenly. His angered had vented itself, for now, but the solemnity of his tone was no less disturbing.

"Goku was here wasn't he?" Goten asked, but Vegeta was already walking away. "Hey, Vegeta!" he pressed.

Only half turning, Vegeta fired a ki bolt that Goten barely dodged, marking the end of that discussion. The rest of the day dragged on without event, Vegeta and Goten equally moody, though neither said anything. Eventually, all retired to bed, as usual, but Goten's dreams were muddled with confusion. How did Vegeta know Goku and why did they resent each other so?


	4. Episode 04

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 04 -- Goten's Determination!! Please Tell Me!!  
  
Vegeta looked through bloodshot eyes across the battlefield to regard the young man he thought he knew to be Goten. Goten was always so lighthearted, so unbecoming of a Saiyajin warrior. But recently, after his encounter with Kakarotto, Goten seems to have become a new person. He was often quiet now, almost withdrawn. He also showed more spirit in combat, an actual challenge for Vegeta. Normally, the elder Saiyajin would approve of this, but now...  
  
Vegeta berated himself for letting himself get sidetracked. He rose from his crouched position, wincing as he put pressure on a sore leg, it might have been fractured. He spat some blood and wiped his chin with the back of his hand.  
  
Vegeta's gaze flickered briefly away from his sparring partner to look at his son. Trunks lay on his back in a crater, half-conscious. Goten had quite obviously wanted him out of the way. But father and son weren't the only ones hurting. Goten was pretty roughed up himself, blood running down his right arm and smeared on his clothes. Determination seemed to be the only thing keeping him standing.  
  
As painful as it was, Vegeta resumed a battle stance. He smiled ruefully, "You've got some nerve, yaro. Such disrespect for your sensei. Tsk, tsk." His smirk faded and his usual frown returned. "Why the sudden change?"  
  
Goten gaze was calm, but cold, devoid of emotion. He was focused. "Found something to fight for," he said slowly.  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"...A question." Vegeta was silent, he knew what was coming. "What do you have against Goku-san?" Goten finished.  
  
Vegeta snorted. Silently, he limped over to his son's prone body and lifted him up by the belt. Half-carrying, half- dragging his heir, the Saiyajin no Ouji headed toward the lab. "We're done for the day. Clean up," he called over his shoulder.  
  
Goten, however, would not be brushed off again. He shot forwards and stopped just in front of his sensei, forcing Vegeta to stop. Glaring down into the Saiyajin's midnight eyes, though they were nearly the same height. "I deserve to know."  
  
After a pause, Vegeta replied, "Sou ka? Just how did you come to _that_ conclusion?"  
  
Goten took a deep breath. "That's what confuses me. It feels like... there's some kind of... connection between us. I can't explain it..."  
  
".........I can."  
  
"Nani nani!?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
[Coward! Failure!! Quitter!!!]  
  
Goku reflected on those words. How true they were. He was all these things and more. He abandoned those who would call him friend. He had failed to protect his wife from death's grip. He wasn't there when his son, his own flesh and blood, needed him most.  
  
Goku wept.  
  
[Coward! Failure!! Quitter!!!]  
  
*sigh* [Vegeta was right. He's always been right. I am weak. Just another low-class warrior. I'm nothing. I'm weak...]  
  
Suddenly, memories of the previous morning flash through his mind. [But then, what about that day? Goten... We fought and I felt so... so alive. I didn't _feel_ weak!]  
  
Goku heaved himself out of bed with a grunt. [If so... why did I fail... so long ago...?] He pounded the wall in frustration. [Why!? I don't understand! Why can't I!?... Why can't I...]  
  
~~~~~  
  
Vegeta stalked past his young charge and into the lab. [Kakarotto! We were almost ready and you had to screw everything up!] Vegeta's thoughts were interrupted by Trunks, who was stirring from his daze.  
  
"Onegai shimasu, ojisan! Hanashite! What do you mean!?"  
  
"Enough!!!" Vegeta roared, "Why do you bother!? Be happy with what you have!"  
  
"That's not enough! I have to know!"  
  
A primal growl escaped Vegeta's throat, "You're just like Kakarotto! Irritatingly persistent!" He threw up his hands in frustration, dropping Trunks in the process.  
  
"Ka-kaka-ro -- Who!?"  
  
"Kakarotto," he said quietly. "The one you call Goku. His true Saiyajin name is Kakarotto."  
  
"A Saiyajin!? No wonder he's so strong..."  
  
"He's also...you're father."  
  
To say the least, Goten was shocked. [My tousan... alive... Goku-san...] Goten staggered a bit, hand to the wall to steady himself. "Vegeta-san." His voice was somber, measured. "You once told me my whole family was dead. That my father had died."  
  
"He did. The man I knew, the man that would have been you're tousan ceased to exist long ago. Kakarotto is an empty shell of a man. No true Saiyajin warrior would allow himself such a fall from grace." Vegeta's voice was contemptuous.  
  
"...I need to talk to him," Goten proclaimed calmly.  
  
"I don't want you going near him again," Vegeta replied much the same way.  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
"Are you listening to me, baka!? I said stay away from him!"  
  
"Hanashite!"  
  
"Iie!! I will _not_ l--" Vegeta stuggled to verbalize what he was feeling, but such expression was unkown to him, so the Saiyajin no Ouji settled for a sharp bark of "Idiot!" With that, Vegeta stomped into the lab. He was worried that Kakarotto had already influenced the boy. [I don't need this! Not now!]  
  
Goten was even more confused. [Why does Vegeta-san hate Goku-san so much?] He walked slowly into R&D. No lights were on; there was only the dim illumination coming from inside of the regeneration tank. Vegeta had his hands on either side of the door to the isoation chamber. He was leaning forwards, staring into the observation window.  
  
Inside the regen tank, Trunks was hooked up to the machine, immersed in a thick, greenish blue liquid. Goten wanted to say something, anything to ease the tension. "Ah, Vegeta-san...um, how does the regen tank work?" he said carefully.  
  
Vegeta did not move, his voice quiet and calm, "Baseline Saiyajin DNA. Replaces damaged organic tissues." Goten could think of nothing in reply, but Vegeta continued. "My mate made this a while back..."  
  
"..."  
  
"Goten. I...was entrusted with your up-bringing when you were born because Kakarotto was...unavailable. I never knew my tousan, and I didn't care to. But, if you feel the need to confront him... I won't stop you. You can find him in the place humans call Paozu, a mountain range to the east."  
  
"...Arigato, jisan." Goten turned to leave, but his sensei's voice stopped him.  
  
"Goten. I raised you like my own son..." There was no emotion behind that statement, no admitance of caring. Even the very utterance seemed to shame the prince, but he held his ground, so to speak.  
  
"And I'm grateful." He ran out of the lab of the lab and shot into the air. He knew where the Paozu mountains were, so at full power, he could be there within the hour. Goten's ki flared, casting a golden light on the terrain that flashed by below.  
  
[Tousan... I need answers that Vegeta-san won't give me. I want to know! What happened so long ago? Why don't I know you?]  
  
~~~~~  
  
Goku peered out the small window. Wind rustling through the leaves, birds chirping, despite the chaos and destruction. [Live. Why can't I just live?] Goku shook his head and stepped outside. [I-I need to talk to someone. But who? Kami disappeared when Piccolo did. Vegeta's _definitely_ out of the question!] He thumped his head with the heel of his hand. [Of course!] Goku took off to find the only person left that he could talk to.  
  
~~~~~  
  
After several minutes of high speed flight, Goten arrived at Paozu and was now hovering above the rolling hills of green. He flew for a time, following a well-traveled path. After a time, he came to a ruin. It was a small house, or what was left. There were large craters and scorch marks everywhere.  
  
"O-osoroshii...what happened here!?" Goten's feet touched down on the barren rock around the ruins. Rubble littered the area. The hard ground was burned bare of life, boulders upturned around the deep craters that dotted the surrounding area. "Bakana... such destruction..."  
  
Goten walked over to the remains of the house. Stepping over what was probably once a wall, he picked is way through the damage. [Nani mo nai. No moss, no ivy, not even any _weeds_. No way to tell when this hap--Nande!?]  
  
Goten saw a glimmer of light ahead on a hill, well past the ruins. He sensed an enormous ki as a figure shot off into the air. "Tousan!!" he called, but the man in the distance did not react.  
  
He ran forward a few steps, but tripped on a chunk of rotten wood and inadverntantly performed a graceless face-plant. "Kuso!" Goten rubbed his head, however unnecessarily. He kicked the offending wooden beam into splinters, but his attention was drawn to what was beneath the chunk of wood.  
  
On the ground lay a broken picture frame. The glass was shattered and the wooden frame fractured and burned. Reaching down, Goten carefully removed the photo, shaking off excess glass. The picture was faded, but became clearer after he smoothed out the creases. In the photo, a young man with wild hair held a young woman and a small boy in his arms. The woman looked shocked, but the man and child were laughing.  
  
[Hm, looks like a family... maybe the people that lived here?] Upon further inspection, the man looked almost like... [Tousan!?] He was certain that the young man in the photo was his father. [Which makes her my... kaasan...] Goten's fingers brushed over the image of the young woman's face. [Kaasan...]  
  
He stifled a sob, refusing to cry even for the mother he would never know. [Iie, I can't lose focus. Demo... Who's the boy? Could he be my niisan? ...Another piece of the puzzle...] He shoved the photo into a pocket. [I do have a family. Or at least I did,] he thought, looking around. He hung his head for a moment, then peered off in the direction his father had taken.  
  
"Sankyuu, otousan. Another time, maybe." 


	5. Episode 05

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 05 -- Someone Help Me!! A Shocking Revelation!!  
  
Mr. Popo swept the floor with a simple broom. For so long, he had taken to cleaning the Tenkai on a regular basis. He never forgot, though there was no one to clean for but himself. Kami might never return, but Popo refused to leave. He didn't want to believe his long-time friend would never come back, so he stayed to wait.  
  
Popo sighed. The cleaning was done and now he had nothing to do. Popo contemplated the past day's events. Two large ki's flared up earlier, but they were gone. Suddenly, another shot up. [Hm? Ah, Son Goku,] he said, recognizing the signature.]  
  
Popo put away the broom in a small storage room. He had nothing to do now but relax. He stepped out into the courtyard, enjoying the breeze, the trees swaying slightly. Mr. Popo smiled, despite himself. He had planted those trees himself many years ago and he was glad to see how they prospered in the pleasant climate so far above Chikyuu.  
  
Mr. Popo stood there for quite a while longer, savoring the sweet smell of the upper winds, untainted by the death and suffering below. He was at peace here, a place far removed from pain and misery.  
  
Mr. Popo turned to face Goku as the Saiyajin touched down in the courtyard and greeted him cordially. "Konbon wa, Son Goku! How can Popo be of service to you?"  
  
Goku forced a smile through his sour mood, "Ohayo, Popo. I really need your help. I... don't know what to do anymore..." His shoudlers dropped slightly.  
  
Popo placed a comforting hand on the man's arm. "Guidence is what you seek?"  
  
"Hai..."  
  
"Hmm... Please follow Popo." Not even looking to see if Goku followed, Mr. Popo turned and proceeded to enter a secondary compound. They entered a small room which was warm and sort of cozy. There was only one table and a few chairs in it. "Please, sit." Popo motioned to a chair. "I'll be right back," he said before exiting through a two-way door. Goku sat, slightly slumped, in a wooden chair that was surprisingly comfortable. Moments later, Popo returned carrying a huge plate loaded with food. "Eat," he offered, placing it on the table in front of Goku.  
  
"Ah, arigato, Popo." After a pause, he began to dig in, eating in ravenous Saiyajin fashion.  
  
"Do itashimashite." Popo waited until Goku was well into his meal before he resumed speaking. "Son-san, Popo may seem apathetic at times, but I am aware of your... predicament. No advice I could give you would ever be enough, but I can make an educated suggestion. Go see Enma Daiou-sama."  
  
Goku stopped right then and there. "Dare ga? Enma?"  
  
"Hai, I believe you met him after you died fighting Radditz."  
  
"That's right. Um, he's in Anoyo, isn't he?"  
  
"Tadashii. You can still use the Shunkan Idou technique, can you not?"  
  
"Hai, I think so." Goku's mood suddenly brightened. He thumped a hand down on Popo's shoulder, not noticing as the smaller being winced slightly."Arigato Popo, for the food and the advice."  
  
"My pleasure, Son-san."  
  
Goku put two fingers to his head and searched for Enma's ki signature. Locking on, Goku turned one last time to the short man next to him. "Bai-bai!" And an instant later, he was gone.  
  
[Gonbatte, Son-san.] Popo stood and brought the now empty plate into the kitchen in the next room to be washed. [I can only hope you have the strength to endure...]  
  
Goku suddenly found himself outside a huge, ornate palace. It was of traditional architecture, save two particularly untraditional horns of gigantic size protrudiing from the roof. [Ara! Subarashiiiii! Now I remember!] On his left, a line of cloud-like spirits were floating towards the entrance. He took off at an eager jog along side the line. Approaching the golden entrance, he was stopped by two burly oni.  
  
"Oi! Enma's in there, right?" Goku asked. The oni looked nervously at each other. "Waaaiiit, I know you guys!" He pointed to the one on the left, who was red and had one horn. Then he pointed to the other, who was blue and had two stubby horns and glasses. "You're the guys that tried to stop me from getting back to Snake Way all those years back!"  
  
The red one nodded. "Hai, I guess we made a mistake, huh?" Goz admitted.  
  
The blue one agreed. "Had we known who you were, we wouldn't have given you such a hard time," said Mez. He pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose with his finger.  
  
"Forget about it," Goku said, waving it off. "We all make mistakes. Can I see Enma now?"  
  
"Go right ahead, Goku-san," Mez said. As Goku walked passed them, Mez added, "How'd you get that scar?"  
  
"Like I said, we _all_ make mistakes," Goku muttered darkly.  
  
While the outside of the palace projected an air of serenity, the inside was a madhouse. Oni and souls rushed around and it very much resembled the floor of the stock market. To the right was an ornate, pearl and silver gate was labeled 'Tengoku'. To the left, other souls were being herded by armed oni through onyx and iron gates. Above was the sign 'Jigoku'. Goku could see the giant red oni known as Enma sitting behind his equally large desk opposite the entrance. Behind him were the doors that led to Snake Way and ultimately the Kaiou-sei. The Saiyajin carefully danced his way around, trying not to get in the way of the onis' administrative duties. Cutting in front of the line of souls, Goku cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, "Oi! Enma!!"  
  
The master oni looked up from a form he was filling out, trying to find out where the voice had come from. Finally, he peered down over the edge of his desk and saw Goku. "Oh! Son-san! How are you?"  
  
"Could be better," he responded, floating up to eye level with the humongous red oni. "I need your help."  
  
"Honto ni? Well, I need a brake anyway." The secretarial oni froze in their tracks and all activity stopped as they all turned to stare wide-eyed at their employer. Such a break in pace always made for a back-up of paperwork and soon they hurried back to their tasks, on the brink of panic. Enma merely wiped his brow with a handkerchief. "How can I help you?" he offered.  
  
"You know 'bout Nagareboshi?"  
  
Enma looked very mad. "Hai! It's giving us a lot to do!" he exclaimed, gesturing to the mound of paperwork on his desk, that even as they spoke was still building. "Why don't you take care of It?"  
  
"...I tried, believe me."  
  
"And...?"  
  
"...I lost. He killed my family and friends."  
  
"Nani!!!! That's... that's _horrible_. I'm very sorry for your loss, Goku-san..."  
  
"Arigato... I asked Popo what I should do. He told me I needed guidance and sent me to you."  
  
"Ah, Popo-san is a good man. Mysterious, but very wise. So he said you needed guidance, huh?"  
  
"Hai, but I don't know what he meant."  
  
"Hmm... if he sent you to me... maybe he thought... you should speak with them," the giant oni though aloud. "Hai! Hai, that must be it!"  
  
"I-I don't understand. What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that you must talk to your deceased family. I can arrange that; that's why he sent you to me."  
  
"Honto!? Arigato, Enma! Onegai, will you do that for me?"  
  
"Mochiron! Anything for you, my friend!" Enma turned to one of his assistants. "You there!" Enma rumbled, "Find out where this man's family and friends are!" The oni started their research immediately without even asking who Goku was. "It should only be a few minutes now."  
  
So they waited. And waited. And waited. Goku stood on Enma's desk looking forlorn, while the Lord of the Afterlife tried to remain calm.  
  
Finally, one of the oni stepped forward hesitantly. "Uh... Enma-sama, sir. We, uh --"  
  
"Speak up!!" Enma roared.  
  
"Yes sir! We couldn't find them, sir!"  
  
"...nani?" Goku's voice was a hoarse whisper.  
  
"I'm sorry, but we couldn't find them. According to our records, they are still alive. Well, exce --"  
  
Now Goku sprung to life. "But that's not possible!! How --"  
  
Enma interrupted, "Do you even know _who_ you are looking for?" he asked calmly, turning again to his subordinate.  
  
The oni looked rather upset at that. "Of course we do, sir! We never make a mistake!"  
  
"Hmm, this is going to be a problem." He thought for a minute. "Well, there is _one_ way, but..."  
  
"Nani!? Do yatte!?"  
  
"Are you sure? It can be very dangerous."  
  
"Hai, I'll do whatever it takes," he declared vehemently.  
  
"So be it. There is a room, long disused, that can act as a mediator of sorts between the living and the...otherwise... no matter where the target individual is. It has been used only a few times, many sessions have turned out, ah, regrettable."  
  
The secretary cleared his throat. "Excuse me--"  
  
"What's this place?"  
  
"The Kaigisho no Maigo Tamashii. The Chamber of Lost Souls. Follow me." Enma rose from his seat and lumbered across the room, Goku hot on his heels. Enma pulled a file cabinet twice his size away from the wall. Many oni covered their ears at the screeching noise of metal dragging over tiles.  
  
This revealed a wide set of ornate stone arches. Ominous symbols from languages long forgotten were carved into the giant columns on either side.  
  
"Is this it?" Goku asked.  
  
"Iie, this is merely the path. At the end of this hallway is the door to the Kaigisho. Please be warned, Goku-san: the trials you must face in the Kaigisho may be more than even you can handle and there is no escape. You must complete what you start. That is the only way out."  
  
"Arigato, Enma." Goku turned toward the passage and took off at a run.  
  
"B-but, sir!" the secretary began, "We did find --"  
  
"Gonbatte, Goku-san!" Enma called at the Saiyajin's back, cutting off his subordinate. He sighed heavily and pushed the cabinet back into place, closing off the hallway. The smaller oni sighed and flipped the papers he held into the air, returning to work.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Mr. Popo was in a rather good mood as he cleaned the dishes. He'd been scrubbing for several hours now; it always took forever to clean. As he worked, he hummed softly one of his favorite songs, a simple tune that has long since been forgotten by modern folk.  
  
Suddenly, he stopped. A cold, horrible feeling ran down his spine. [N-nande yo!? I've never felt anything like it!] Popo ran outside, stopping at the edge of the floating palace. He scanned the ground with his ki. There were a couple he recognized. Vegeta and the boys. Goku was understandable absent. There were a few others of some significance, but Popo's attention was caught by one even stronger in the distance. [It felt... evil. What... is this!? Such raw evil! Who could... Iie!! Nagareboshi!!]  
  
Popo staggered in fear and panic. Nagareboshi might as well have disappeared off the face of the planet, considering all the trouble It went through to stay inconspicuous. But now, the beast stirred. [It's... awakening...] In his alarm, Popo called out to Enma. [Enma-sama! Are you there!?]  
  
After a pause, [Hai, Popo-san. I am here. What do you need?]  
  
[Is Son-san still there?]  
  
[Iie, he just left.]  
  
[Can you call him back?]  
  
[Impossible. Doshite, is something the matter?]  
  
[Popo thinks... Nagareboshi... is awakening...]  
  
[Oh my, are you sure?]  
  
[Hai, I'm afraid so. That's why Popo must speak to Son-san.]  
  
[Sumimasen, Popo-san. There is nothing I can do.]  
  
[Domo arigato gozaimasu, Enma-sama. Sayonara,] Mr. Popo thought dejectedly. He broke off the connection. He though for a minute and came to a decision. Steeling himself, Popo reached out with his mind, following a familiar ki until he came to a mental barrier. Popo poked around a bit, hoping to get the person's attention. [Vegeta-san... Vegeta-san... Vege --]  
  
[Nande kuso!? Who the hell --!?]  
  
Instantly, a wall went up, pushing Popo's mind away to the point that he had to struggle to sustain contact. Working fast, he attempted to placate the prince. [Please, calm down Vegeta-san. It is I, Mr. Popo.]  
  
[...You're that guy who helped out Kami, aren't you?]  
  
[Hai, correct --]  
  
[Then what in hell are you doing in my head!?]  
  
[Popo is not in your head, per say. I am speaking to you telepathically.]  
  
[Whatever! What do you want!?]  
  
[Did you fell a chill earlier, like a ki signature?]  
  
[......Hai. What are you getting at?]  
  
[Popo thinks the monster Nagareboshi is awakening... Vegeta-san? Vegeta-san!]  
  
[Relax! I'm just checking the Scouter! ...Kuso! You're right. The memory system recorded a ki signature just a few minutes ago. About the time I felt it.]  
  
[...Then Popo was right.]  
  
[...] After a moment of silence, Vegeta 'spoke up' again. [Crap! I'm going to tell the boys.]  
  
[Is that wise?]  
  
[If that monster wakes up, we'll have to fight It. There's no reason not to tell them.]  
  
[Whatever you feel is best. Sayonara.] Mr. Popo sat down, lost in thought. The dirty dishes sat, ignored and forgotten, in the soapy water. 


	6. Episode 06

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 06 -- Where's Goku!? Preparing for Battle!!  
  
Goku shot through the pitch black hallway, each step carrying him at a speed the envy of professional athletes.. "Subarashii!" he said, his voice echoing about the hundreds of ornate stone arches that whizzed by overhead. "This is almost as long as Snake Way!" Surely it was the magic of this place that kept it hidden from sight on the outside.  
  
Goku noticed a flickering point of light at the end of the passage. As he neared, he saw it was a single candle burning over a stone door frame. The door was of average size, a change of pace from the over-sized scale of everything else in the palace.  
  
He put a hand on the door. Though difficult to see in the dim light, he could tell there were many detailed engravings. Groping about, he found a door knob, a large iron knocker in the shape of a hideous monster. Goku tried to pull the door open, but it wouldn't budge. Goku scrathed his head for a moment, then used the knocker as it was meant to and the door immediately swung open. Still griping the handle, Goku was flung into the darkness inside. Without a sound, the door closed, sealing him in.  
  
~~~~~  
  
There was a commotion at the gate to Tengoku. A spirit had fought its way out and was dodging the pursuing oni. It rushed through the gathering crowd and shot past Goz and Mez into Enma's office. "Where is he!?"  
  
Enma, caught unaware, was startled to find a spirit confronting him. "Where is who?"  
  
"My husband! Where is he!?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss..." He began sifting through some papers.  
  
"_Missus_ Chichi," she supplied.  
  
"Oh! You're Goku-san's wife!"  
  
"Hai, I am. Now where is he!?"  
  
Enma looked a bit sheepish. "Sumimasen, demo...ah, he's gone."  
  
"Nani? What do you _mean_ he's gone!? You can't bring him back!?" Chichi felt a sinking sensation. the only thing that had kept her from having a nervous breakdown was knowing the man she loved was still alive. But now...  
  
Enma, sensing her distress, waved his hands placatingly. "Shinpai shinai!" he said quickly, "Goku-san will be back!" [I hope,] he added mentally. "You can wait in my private lounge until your husband returns." he pointed to his left.  
  
"Domo arigato gozaimasu, Enma-sama," she said slowly, worn by the frenzy of her distress. She floated, then walked away towards a door on the side.  
  
Chichi entered the lounge. It was huge, empty, and sparkling clean. Enma never had the time to come in here, so everything was still brand new. The soul floated up and settled on the massive cushions. Her thoughts wandered, thinking of how glad she was when she heard Goku was out of his slump.  
  
She remembered the night everything changed. Goku was lost in his thoughts, somehow obsessed with defeating Nagareboshi. For years, he was a stranger in his own home. When Chichi tried to take his mind off the fighting, Goku responded with an almost agressive passion. The woman shivered, feeling guilty at the pleasure she felt that night. But then Gohan died and Chichi had no time to mourn the loss of her son. She was too busy tending to her broken husband. For his sake, she didn't cry and spared little time to dwell on it.  
  
The following year had not been easy. Goku had taken to wandering the forest for days at a time. He spent most of his time back in his old shack deeper in the mountains. Chichi was alone with herself and her unborn child. The arrival of Bulma's family helped her stay focused, but that certainly didn't last long...  
  
Slowly, Chichi fell into a weeping slumber. "Goku..."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Trunks was perhaps the most level-headed of the trio, always thinking ahead, the only voice of reason. However, even he had his little fetishes, and at the moment, he was totally absorbed in his activities. Trunks often spent his free time--what little of it there was--with a manga from his moderate collection or, in most instances, with his sword. It was a finely crafted blade, edge razor sharp with impeccable balance. Given the opportunity, he would spend hours, whet stone in hand, constantly sharpening the perfect blade. When cycling through a series of katas, Trunks could feel the ebb and flow of power with each swing, the graceful dance, deadly yet beaufi--  
  
"TRUNKS!!!"  
  
Reflexively, Trunks cringed, but like any dutiful son, he sheathed the blade and strapped it to his back as he made his way to his father. The Saiyajin no Ouji was in the high-grav gym, arms crossed and face crosser. "Doshitano, Papa?"  
  
Vegeta's, voice however, was strangely subdued. "Where is Goten?"  
  
"Tadaima." Goten trudged into the high-grav training center.  
  
Vegeta refrained from asking how things had gone yesterday, the look on the young man's face enough to tell. "I have received word that Nagareboshi is soon to awaken." The two half-Saiyajin exchanged worried glances, but said nothing, so Vegeta continued. "Today we begin training."  
  
"Demo, I thought --" Trunks blurted out.  
  
"Hn! Iie, musuko. You see, now we have a time limit. From now on, we are going to train twenty-four-seven. Breaks only when I allow. Is that clear?" He waited for a moment and satisfied, assumed a fighting stance. "Computer, set gravity level to maximum." A moment of silence is broken by a few beeps from the computer and all three Saiyajin braced themselves as the gravity in the room quickly increased to approximately six hundred times normal.  
  
A mischievous smirk appeared on Vegeta's face. "Ikusho!!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Oi... That hurts..." Goku rolled groggily to his feet. Disoriented, he staggered a bit before he found his footing. He blinked a couple times and rubbed his eyes to clear the spots he saw.  
  
Goku stood upright and looked around, but saw nothing. Absolutely nothing. [Nani!? Am I...blind!?] He looked down and saw himself. He wasn't blind, everything around him had been replaced by an empty, black void. [Then, what am I standing on?] Goku stamped his feet and sure enough, he seemed to be on solid ground.  
  
Goku walked a bit, hoping to find something, anything. It seemed as if he walked for hours until he noticed a strange light just over his left shoulder. It was like no color he had ever seen before, a mesmerizing hue that completely drew his attention.  
  
As he approached, Goku became aware of voices just up ahead, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. The light also seemed to be moving, shifting in swirls of vibrant color. Finally, he reached the edge of the light. It was like a shimmering curtain, rippling in the air.  
  
Tentatively, Goku put one hand to the light and pushed. His hand passed through unhindered and he felt only a slight tingling sensation. He could see it on the other side, though the image appeared fuzzy and distorted. Steeling himself, Goku steeped through. 


	7. Episode 07

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 07 -- Ghosts From The Past!! Goku's Trial of Courage!!  
  
Suddenly, Goku found himself in the Diablo Desert. Wind whipped around the columns of the mushroom-like rock outcroppings as the sun beat down upon the barren sand unmercilessly. Goku raised a hand to shield his eyes from the harsh desert sun and surveyed the surrounding landscape, seeing nothing beyond the roiling haze of heat.  
  
"Oi, Goku-san."  
  
Goku spun to face the voice. Beaneath a rock formation sat Yamucha, his eyes wandering the desertscape. The Saiyajin wanted to run forwards and embrace his long dead comrade, but took only hesitant steps until he was in the shade. "What's going on..?"  
  
"I guess I'm still kinda attached to this wasteland. A simpler time, ya know?"  
  
"..."  
  
Yamucha stood and dusted off his pants, at last turning to face his long-time friend. "I think the real question is, what are you doing here? I haven't seen any of the others since I got here," he said with a wave of his hand. Goku got the impression he didn't mean 'here' as in 'the desert.'  
  
"I... I need help..."  
  
"_My_ help?" Yamucha snorted. "Why would the great Super Saiyajin need little ol' me?" Seeing the look on Goku's face, "Er...sorry. Didn't mean it that way."  
  
Goku nodded dumbly, his throat tight. He had realized his problem only recently and still hesitated to admit it. Facing reality was too hard, too painful. But he had to, it was the only way. "Ever since... Gohan... died," he choked out, "I've... I've lost myself."  
  
"Yeah..." Yamucha said, staring out at the desert. "You're not the only one." That last bit sounded a touch sarcastic.  
  
Bolder for effort he'd already made, Goku continued. "I need to remember who I am. I need to beat...It... Nagareboshi...."  
  
"You mean you want revenge?" said a new, and yet still familiar voice.  
  
Goku spun again, finding himself face to face with his old sensei, Kame-sen'nin Muten Roshi. They were outside the Kame House on the turtle hermit's island. "Jiichan!"  
  
Kame-sen'nin stood boldly, looking for all the world like the venerable old master he rarely was. "Revenge is a dirty thing, Goku. You don't take revenge, it takes you."  
  
"But, I can't just let it get away with...killing Gohan..."  
  
"I may be a foolish old man, but this fool still remember something you seem to have forgotten." He walked from the house to the small beach, Goku falling in step behind him. "Fighting isn't about revenge. It's about protecting. You lost sight of that and that's why you lost to Nagareboshi."  
  
The two stopped at the edge of the beach. A gentle sea breeze tousled the Saiyajin's hair as the tide lapped at their feet. The caw of seagulls filled Goku's ears and surf smelled nostalgically salty. The raven-haired man was silent. What could be possibly say in response?  
  
"No man is perfect, Goku. Contrary to even your own experiences, you can't always do it by yourself. You had friends, allies. What made you forget it all? The shock of a single failure? I thought you were made of sterner stuff."  
  
"I am! I am..." Goku took a deep breath, trying to fight back the rage that was building against himself. "If I wasn't sure I wanted to fight Nagareboshi, I wouldn't have come here now."  
  
"Trying again now...doesn't really make up for not trying harder back then," said a voice behind Goku.  
  
The Saiyajin swallowed hard, the voice--high-pitched and a little nasal--brough back a flood of memories. Turning around, the tall man tried not to cry. "K-Kuririn...I..."  
  
The short, bald man waved him off. "Nah, don't apologize. I can't really blame you. I'm not a shining icon of courage in battle myself, ne?"  
  
"Kuririn!" Goku ran forward and scooped up his small friend. The two laughed and cried at the same time, reveling in this seemingly impossible reunion. "I'm so sorry. There's no way I can make up for what I did."  
  
"Or didn't do," the former monk joked. Kuririn shook his round, shiney head. "Look, pal, we've all been in the fighting business for a long time. You knew the risks and so did we. Heck, most of us have died at some point or another."  
  
"This is different," the taller man replied, standing. "This isn't normal death. I can't bring you back from this."  
  
"That's besides the point, Goku. In all the years I've known you, you've never been a quitter. If there's one thing you're good at, it's the ability to come from behind when you're in a clinch."  
  
"But I couldn't, I didn't--"  
  
Kuririn punched the Saiyajin in the arm playfully. "Someone's not listening. Now open those big monkey ears, all right? It's not over yet, you still have time."  
  
"He's right, Son-san. Round two is just getting started." The new voice, strong and measured, came from Tenshinhan, who laid his hand on Goku's shoulder.  
  
The Saiyajin was aware of another scene change, this time to the Tenkai'ichi Budokai tournament grounds where he had first fought the three-eyed warrior so many years ago. Without the hordes of cheering spectators, the arena was eerily quiet. Goku turned his head and Tenshinhan nodded, the small boyish Chaozu floating over his shoulder with a smile. "What do you mean?" the raven-haired man asked.  
  
Tenshinhan folded his arms over a wide, barrel chest and he still retained the air of professionalism Goku remembered from his childhood memories. "Nagareboshi's dormancy will not last forever. Even now, It stirs."  
  
Goku blanched. "H-how do you know?"  
  
The man shook his head, ignoring the question. "What matters is that the time to fight is soon coming. Can you face your fears this time?"  
  
"I'll try..."  
  
"Trying isn't good enough," Chaozu said solemnly. "We all tried to stop Nagareboshi, but we all failed. Only you really ever had the power."  
  
"And you still do," Tenshinhand added. "That power remains in your heart, Son. All you have to do is remember it."  
  
Chaozu floated up a bit and guestured at their surroundings. "This place is deeply ingrained in your heart, Goku-san. You still love to fight, even if your hatred of Nagareboshi has blinded you to it."  
  
"Don't run away from it," said the three-eyed man. "Embrace it like you used to. You're like us, only truly happy when you fight. It's in our blood, especially yours. It doesn't suit you to sit and hide."  
  
Goku's legs qwavered, suddenly feeling like lead. He sat heavily on the ground, almost gasping for breath.  
  
"See? You're feeling stifled."  
  
The suddenly gruff voice made the Saiyajin jump and he turned, now looking up at the towering demon that was Piccolo. "You always were good at showing up when least expected," Goku said with a weak smile.  
  
"Don't change the subject," the Namek-seijin growled. "You know, it disgusts me to see you like this. It's hard to believe you're the same man I remember."  
  
Goku winced. "Haih, Vegeta said kinda the same thing..."  
  
"It digusts you too, doesn't it?" Piccolo said and after a pause, Goku nodded. "You know what I think? It's not Gohan's loss that makes you hide."  
  
"Then...what?" the man asked as he shakilly climbed to his feet again. "I can't figure this out on my own."  
  
"Iie, you never were particularly bright. I think you're really afraid that you've become to emotionally involved in the battles. You're afraid it's no longer a test of wills or techniques. You're afraid you'll become like your enemies, growing more bitter with each battle. You're afraid you'll lose yourself."  
  
Goku drywashed his face, deep in thought. "When I fought Furiiza...it wasn't the same kind of fight..."  
  
Piccolo turned, his cape swirling in a flourish of white. "Right, you had to contend with your rage at Kuririn's murder. In a sense, becoming a Super Saiyajin was the worst thing that could happen to a person like you."  
  
"I wanted to kill him. I really did."  
  
"But you didn't, did you? That's why you're having so much trouble now. You carried that hate even though you didn't know it. And when Nagareboshi killed Gohan, the dark feelings in your heart only got worse."  
  
"So what do I gotta do?" Goku asked with a sigh.  
  
"Let it go," Piccolo replied simply. "Return to the way your were."  
  
"Demo, after all this time. How can I..?"  
  
The Namek-seijin raised one hand, pointing a talon over Goku's shoulder. The raven-haired man blinked and it seemed like the world changed again. He was now at the edge of a small patch of woods. Out in the meadow, a little away from the forest was a moderately sized home. It was dome-shaped and had a large add-on to one side. Above the door was a red diamond with a character in the middle that read '439 East District'.  
  
A soft roar built up as a brisk wind came down from the nearby mountains and blew across the yard, stirring the trees wildly. As it settled, a robin's song could be heard in the distance, rising and falling with a joyful oscillation. For the first time in many years, Goku felt at ease. Even the sense of loss that this area aroused in him was subdued and he gave a sigh of long overdue content.  
  
"T-tousan?" 


	8. Episode 08

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 08 -- Reunions of the Heart!! Goku Regains His Confidence!!  
  
Vegeta punched Goten squarely in the chest, sending the youngest Saiyajin barreling into his friend. They both crashed into the wall, but recovered instantly, shooting around either side of the high-grav chamber. Closing in on him as one, they surrounded their sensei in a pincer attack, striking at him on both sides as mirror images of each other.  
  
Vegeta caught the foot of both on a twin roundhouse and slammed them into each other. Tangled on the ground, Goten and Trunks were sitting ducks as Vegeta leapt into the air, firing a stream of ki down at his targets. "Don't be predicatble!" the prince yelled over the roar of explosions. "Be wild, be loose! Surprise your enemy!"  
  
Trunks was blown to the side, but Goten dodged and returned fire. Gathering his ki, Goten swung at the air and three comet-like bolts rocketed towards Vegeta. The prince dodged the first, batted away the second, but was caught in the chest by the third. The blast was strong enough to send him tumbling through the air. Vegeta barely had enough time to dodge another ki blast fired by Trunks, still on the ground.  
  
However, Vegeta didn't see Goten coming up behind him and the young man's knee dug sharply into his back. With his father stunned, Trunks took the opportunity to attack. Holding his hands over his head, he focused his ki and brought them down in an arc. "How's this for a surprise? FINISH BUSTER!!!"  
  
The explosion whipped debris around the room and Goten shot his own blast, adding to the mayhem. Suddenly, Vegeta darted out of the smoke and tossed a kienzan towards his son. Trunks quickly drew his sword and sliced the blade of ki in two, the two halves flying off to slice into unoffending walls. With the other hand, Trunks fired another ki bolt.  
  
Still hanging in the air, Goten charged up for a new attack he had recently developed. Thrusting both hands forwards, an orb of ki formed in front of him from which sprang five consecutive beams. The attack--a technique he'd taken to calling the Go-bai Kougeki--spread out in the air, then turned to converge on Vegeta's position.  
  
Seeing an opening, Vegeta flew up, avoiding the attack by heading straight for Goten. He punched Goten in the gut, then seized his hand and threw him down towards the ground. Trunks flew up to attack, his sword cutting a thin red line across Vegeta's chest, but Vegeta back-peddled and kicked Trunks' wrist, knocking the sword from his grip, then rolled, punching his son in the face. He followed up with a kick to the shoulder blade, causing Trunks to spiral into the wall and slide down, hitting the floor.  
  
"Come on! Where's the fire I saw in your heart before, Goten?" Vegeta goaded. "And are you going to let this low-bred whelp surpass you, Trunks?"  
  
The two teens struggled back to their feet and prepared to attack again.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"T-tousan?"  
  
Goku froze. That voice. That young, innocent voice. That voice filled with calm and compassion. That voice that called out to Goku, even in his nightmares. Turning around slowly, Goku's knees buckled as he glimpsed the origin of the voice.  
  
Gohan. A sight for sore, tired, weary eyes. The image began to waver and thoughts flashed through Goku's mind. Is this an illusion? It can't be! It must be real! It has to be real! And yet, Goku still hesitated, his previous torment still fresh in his memory and refusing to be ignored. "...Gohan...?"  
  
"Tousan!" Running forward, the boy leapt and Goku reflexively caught him. The Saiyajin warrior held his son tenderly, but tightly, as if to protect him from being taken away again. Gohan cried into his father's shoulder, "Aishiteru yo!"  
  
Stroking the back of his son's head, "Aishiteru yo, musuko." After Gohan's crying subsided, "Sumimasen, Gohan..."  
  
"Doushite?"  
  
"I... let you... You... died... I... I..." Goku took a deep, ragged breath. He attempted to continue, but Gohan interrupted him.  
  
Pulling away slightly, "It's not your fault."  
  
"Demo..."  
  
"I saw you as you had just arrived. I saw you fight. I saw you try. It's not your fault. I don't blame you."  
  
"..."  
  
"I wasn't strong enough. It was too strong for me to beat. That's why I lost."  
  
"It couldn't have beat you if..."  
  
"If why?"  
  
"When Nagareboshi first arrived on Chikyuu from space, I went to check it out. I found It in the form of big rock --"  
  
"A meteor?"  
  
"Uh, hai. It didn't seem very strong. I probably could've destroyed it then, but... I was curious. It caught me off guard and started sucking away my power. I got away, but I was too weak fight and It took off. Must have sensed your ki."  
  
"...So, it used your power against me?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Onegai, don't worry tousan. Besides, you have another chance."  
  
"That's right...I can try--no, I can do it. I can win this time." Goku closed his eyes and smiled. "Minna, you all helped me now."  
  
Gohan put on a beaming smile. "I have faith in you, tousan. Always have, always will."  
  
Goku rose to his feet. For the first time in a long while, Goku felt like his old self again. He smiled back at his son, his humor returned. "Hai, Gohan. I will, for you and everyone else."  
  
Gohan looked up into his father's scarred but happy face. "I have to go, tousan," he said regretfully.  
  
"Sude ni?"  
  
"Hai, gomen. Sayonara, tousan."  
  
"Iie, Gohan. Jaa ne."  
  
"Hai, jaa!" Goku turned to leave and ran off. "Tousan!" Gohan called after his father.  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"Say hi to taisan for me!"  
  
"You bet!" Goku replied, giving his grinning son a thumb's up. He turned and jogged off, but was about to turn around and ask where the door was when he suddenly jumped out into the poorly lit hallway. Grinning to himself, Goku put two fingers to his forehead and instantly found himself standing in front of Enma.  
  
"Aaaahh!! Goku-san! You're back!"  
  
"Hai, I am. Domo arigato, Enma-sama, for your help."  
  
"Do itashimashite! I'm glad you're feeling better! Oh, that's right!"  
  
"What's up, Enma?"  
  
"You have a visitor! Come with me!" Enma got up from his chair and opened the door to his private lounge for Goku to enter. "She came down looking for your just after you left. I gave her a temporary body so you...er," Enma blushed--though it wasn't apparent through his already red skin--and ushered Goku through the door.  
  
As Goku stepped inside the threshold, a figure ran up and jumped into his arms, kissing him firmly on the lips. The woman's slight frame wasn't heavy enough to bother Goku (hardly anything was) and despite the odd welcoming, Goku recognized her instantly. Drawing back his head so he could talk, "Chichi!"  
  
"Goku! Oh, Goku!" She kissed him again, then snuggled up to his chest. "How long has it been?" Chichi said to herself wistfully.  
  
Enma checked his records. "Approximately fifteen years, three months--"  
  
"That was a rhetorical question!"  
  
"Oi, Chichi! Calm down, it's okay now," Goku said, waving his hands placatingly. Goku let his eyes wander over her of his young wife. Her eyes shone as brightly as they ever had with a strength that even he had to bow to. He cupped a hand lightly around her chin, tilting her head back so he could better view her loving face. He gave her his patented grin, receiving a bit of a blush from the woman.  
  
Embarrassed by her husband's sudden scrutiny, "Ah, gomen, Goku-sa. Sumimasen, Enma-sama. And thank you for this spirit body."  
  
"Ha ha! It's quite alright! I figured you would want some kind of form besides a cloud." Knowing when discretion is the better part of valor, Enma took the opportunity to allow the two their privacy. "Well, I'll be going now. Goku-san, it's been good to see you, sayonara."  
  
"Jaa ne!" Turning back to his deceased wife, "Chichi, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I heard you had come to the check point, so I came down from Tengoku to find you."  
  
"Well, I'm here!"  
  
"Hai --" Chichi's face suddenly became worried. She averted her eyes nervously as she spoke again. "Goku, we... we have a... second son. I --"  
  
Goku's face lowered to brush against his wife's, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "I know, Chichi," he whispered into her ear. "I'm sorry for not being there..."  
  
"Goku..."  
  
"I've... met him. He's a very strong man now." Goku drew back to look into her eyes, his face set determinedly. "I won't let anything happen to our son, not ever again."  
  
Finally, the old Chichi kicked in again and she grabbed her husbands arms in a vice grip. "My baby! By Kami, Goku! Vegeta took my baby!"  
  
Goku grinned wider now, amused. "I know, I know. Vegeta has been taking very good care of him," Goku said, equally trying to convince himself.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Vegeta sneezed into his water bottle, the clear fluid spraying out from his lips and nose. Across the room, Goten and Trunks broke out into gales of laughter.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Well, be seeing each other again soon enough," Goku finished. Goku's face grew somber. "Nagareboshi will awaken soon. I'm going to fight It with Vegeta and the boys."  
  
"Iie, onegai, Goku-sa! Don't It's -- a monster! Don't make Goten fight It! He --"  
  
"Don't worry about it, Chichi! We'll win this time, I promise you that!" With that, Goku kissed his wife again and put two fingers to his forehead, disappearing from sight. Chichi's arms were still held out as if gripping something. After a moment, she straightened out, hands clasped in front of her in prayer. [Please stay safe, Goku-sa. I love you and...good luck.......] 


	9. Episode 09

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 09 -- Return of the Z Soldiers!! Heading Towards the Final Battle!!  
  
Goten took a long pull from is water bottle, then poured some over his sweat-covered face. "Whew! I am wiped _out_! This is pretty rough, ne Trunks?" A trickle of glistening crimson marred his brow, but Goten payed it no heed.  
  
Slightly out of breath, "H-hai, Goten!" Trunks paused to tie a bandage around a scraped knee, his brow furrowed as he considered something. He nodded to himself and turned around to look at his father. "Papa!"  
  
"Nn?" came the reply. Over the past couple days, Vegeta had denied himself any kind of break, doing some exercise or another while the teens rested. He was currently lifting a barbell that weighed nearly 3000kg in the heightened gravity. With a grunt, he eased it onto the floor in its accustomed spot, which had been long since worn in. "What do you want?"  
  
"Mind telling me something?"  
  
"Depends," he replied gruffly.  
  
"Why are you fighting?"  
  
"I know why I'm fighting," Goten interrupted. "Nagareboshi killed my kaasan and niisan." There was vengeful glint in his eye. Cracking his knuckles, Goten chuckled, imagining all the unpleasant things he would do to Nagareboshi.  
  
"That's what I mean. I hardly know anything about him, but I'm also fighting for revenge," Trunks elaborated, "But you don't seem to have any reason other than that It's there to kill, so you want to."  
  
"That's not to far from the truth, really." Vegeta considered that for a moment. He grinned to himself and spoke with patience he only showed his son. "I am Saiyajin, I live for the challenge. But Nagareboshi is also an inconvenience; constantly getting in the way, and I have yet to have my rematch with Kakarotto." A snort. "Besides, he killed my mate. She may have been dumb and ugly, but she _was_ mine."  
  
Trunks choked slightly at that. "...H-hai. Demo, you never really explained how any of this came about. What happened all those years ago?"  
  
Vegeta was silent before rising to cross the room over to the two young half-Saiyajin. "Are you sure you want to hear this?" The two teens looked at each other and nodded. Vegeta dug around in his memory for a second, fortunately -- or unfortunately depending on how one looked at it -- it wasn't something he could easily forget.  
  
Clearing his throat, Vegeta began his narration. "After the battle on Namek-sei, I roamed around the galaxy looking for Kakarotto. Sometimes I would stay on Chikyuu and train for a while. My only goal at the time was to become stronger than him. I knew he'd return eventually, so I hung around here.  
  
"This is where you met okaasan, honto ni?" Trunks asked.  
  
"Iie, I met her before that, but she did live here. After a while, Freeza's brother and father appeared to take revenge for his defeat."  
  
"You told about that before," Goten commented. "That's when you became a Super Saiyajin, right?"  
  
"Damn straight," Vegeta answered with a satisfied grin. "I knew I couldn't let myself be killed before my rematch with Kakarotto. My will to survive is what finally pushed me past the ceiling I had reached. That feeling of sudden power and accomplishment, it's not something you kids could understand, what with being born with the ability to go Super Saiyajin."  
  
"Did my niisan fight them too?" Goten asked. "Was he strong?"  
  
Vegeta laughed, amused by the memory of Son Gohan's fiery spirit and unquenchable determination. "Quite. But he was a Saiyajin, so it was to be expected. I'd seen his power for myself, especially on Namek. He had a lot of potential for someone of low-blood."  
  
Goten grumbled at Vegeta's use of terminology.  
  
"Don't give me that look," Vegeta sneered. "Anyway, I managed to defeat Cold-ou, but Coola was something else. I loathe to admit it, but if Kakarotto hadn't suddenly appeared when he did, I might have lost."  
  
Trunks cocked his head, brow furrowed. "I know you've told us this before, but I don't remember that part."  
  
Vegeta had the decency to avert his gaze and he cleared his throat. "Well after the fight, I realized Kakarotto had even more powerful since he defeated Freeza on Namek. I decided to wait a bit before issuing my challenge, but then Nagareboshi came. Kakarotto went to check it out and, needless to say, the low-born idiot lost. When I challenged It the first time, I was surprised by the sheer power Nagareboshi managed to acquire from him. Kakarotto was lucky to have escaped without being absorbed."  
  
"How does that work, exactly?" Trunks asked.  
  
The prince shrugged. "Sorry, but I never stopped to ask It. All I know is that It absorbs the entire person, body, soul, everything. Nothing is left. And it's all added to Nagareboshi's power and knowledge. I was forced to work with Kakarotto and his friends and for a few years, we all skipped around the planet, chasing down It when we could. But with each battle, It managed to whitle away at our group. For each loss, It got smarter and stronger until we barely stood a chance."  
  
"Then what, jisan?" Goten asked.  
  
"Well, it all came to a head soon after. By then, Kakarotto had gone a bit crazy, as if he wasn't in the first place. He, the brat, myself, and the Namek-seijin were the only ones left at this point. Nagareboshi was too much for us to handle, but Kakarotto had some hair-brained plan. The only thing weakness we noticed was that Nagareboshi used up power faster than us, so It had gotten really good at running away when It needed too. Kakarotto decided he would goad It into a fight, but keep running away until It used up a lot of Its power."  
  
"That's not a bad plan, all things considered," Trunks noted.  
  
"It would have worked better if he accepted our help. But after our last encounter, I wasn't well enough to fight anyway. Only Kami knows where Piccolo went. Gohan knew Kakarotto would eventually corner Nagareboshi at some kind of tournament ground down south, so he went there to ahead of time to help. But the beast wouldn't be herded. It went there too soon and fought Gohan. By the time Kakarotto arrived, it was already over."  
  
A pause, as Vegeta gathered his thoughts. "By that time, you were already a year old, Trunks." The young man nodded in response. "Kakarotto managed to survive again and dragged himself, then dropped into a stupor. That fool wouldn't fight, let alone do anything else. When Capsule Corp was finally attacked, I brought you and your mother with me to Kakarotto's place in the Paozu Mountains. I still couldn't fight, so we were defenseless when Nagareboshi followed me."  
  
"That's why there's a ruin there. That was tousan's house."  
  
"Hai, it was destroyed after I left."  
  
"How did you get away?"  
  
"The Namek-seijin, he returned at the last second. Said something about being stronger than before." There was evident surprise in Vegeta's voice as he remembered it. "He was telling the truth too, the power I sensed from him was... Well, not that it helped much. Then some old fool tried to distract Nagareboshi. I was forced to--" Vegeta struggled with the word "--escape with you two."  
  
"And our kaasans were..."  
  
"Killed by Nagareboshi, along with the others who were hiding out in that house." All three were silent for quite a while. Vegeta returned to his weight-lifting for a time, while Goten and Trunks remained wordlessly. A digital clock built into the computer console beeped and Vegeta announced, "Times up."  
  
"Huh?" the two teens grunted in unison.  
  
"Nagareboshi will awaken in a few hours. We want to be the first and last thing It sees."  
  
Vegeta made his way to the exit and pushed open the hatch, which cracked and creaked in argument. The two teens followed him outside, where the gloom of night had taken over. It seemed silent that night, disturbingly so, and only a few twinkling lights farther from the city center lit the buildings. The trio crossed the lot and entered the laboratory. Vegeta punched the switch, the lights snapped on and blinding them momentarily until their eyes acclimated to this new, brighter light. Vegeta walked over to a wall safe, fumbling with the combination for a minute before opening the hatch. It was empty. "Kuso!"  
  
"Need these?" asked a voice from the door. Goku stood in his slightly faded orange gi, hand held out revealing three large Senzu beans.  
  
"Tousan!" Goten jumped up and rushed over to his father, receiving a warm smile. "We have a lot to talk about," he said, looking up into his father's bright eyes.  
  
"I know, Goten. Your kaasan and niisan send their love," he grinned. Goten stood dumbfounded, but happy. Goku's eyes narrowed as he looked past his son at Vegeta. "Want these?" he offered, his voice as bit tight.  
  
Vegeta was silent at first, appraising this new, rejuvenated warrior. Goku's hair once again shot up into a wild bush of jet black locks and even his complexion seemed stronger, less emaciated than it had been in the years past. The Saiyajin no Ouji, stepped forward and took a Senzu, popping it into his mouth. Arching an eyebrow, "At least your good for _something_," he concluded. Knowing that as the best he would get, Goku grinned. Vegeta ducked into an armored storage bin, pulling out four sets of Saiyajin body armor. "I had the woman prepare these a while back," he said, again using that flat monotone. He handed one out to each of the three.  
  
Goten turned his over, looking at the back. "What's this? I don't recognized these characters."  
  
"It's Saiyago, the language of the Saiyajin. All of ours has it on the back." Putting his on over a clean body suit, he turned around, revealing the royal crest of the Vegeta Clan.  
  
"Then this would be Kakarotto's." Goku observed, only glancing at it. "Arigato, Vegeta, but I can't wear this."  
  
"Look again, baka." Inspecting it more carefully, Goku realized that it was actually his own name in Chikyuugo, stylized to resemble Saiyago. "Now put it on, your going to need it."  
  
Vegeta passed around body suits, gloves, and boots, all made out of a fabric version of the armor. Goku simply pulled his fighting jacket over his gi. Goten slipped his on and stretched, getting a feel for the armor. "You know tousan, it's a good thing you brought that Senzu. We're out," he explained, ignoring Vegeta's glare.  
  
Goku scratched his head, confused. "Didn't Bulma build a whattayacallit, regen-thing?"  
  
Goten frowned and Trunks chuckled. "The regeneration tank. Goten accidentally blasted it when we were training," Trunks explained.  
  
"Ara...er, who are you?" Goku asked.  
  
Trunks' eyebrows shot up, realizing he hadn't introduced himself yet. "Ore ga Trunks da." Noticing Goku's blank stare, "Vegeta's son?"  
  
"Hai, hai," Goku smiled, "Nice to meet you, Trunks." He clasped the lavender-haired teen's arm in a hardy greeting. When he was done, Trunks reclaimed his arm, shaking it out to get the feeling back.  
  
As they talked, Vegeta grabbed the Scouter off the work table and checked it as they exited the lab. He motioned towards the southwest. Leaping into the air as one, they took off. [Something's very different with Kakarotto,] Vegeta thought, [He seems like he's back to his usual self... If that means that he'll _fight_ like his usual self, _I_ certainly won't be one to complain.]  
  
Time seemed to pass slowly as the four rocketed across the night sky. They were heading towards southernmost area of the mainland. After several minutes, the decimated remains of Parsley Town passed by on their left, one of the many places Nagareboshi attacked in Its search for more strong warriors.  
  
Now they were passing over the inner sea. Goten couldn't help but let his thoughts stray as he gazed at the shimmering light of the stars in the rolling sea waves. [Tousan,] he thought, looking at the his father's reflection in the water. [If we survive this, will I finally get to talk to you? Could you really become my tousan?]  
  
A seeming eternity later, the four passed over a rough mountain terrain and Vegeta called out, "Here!!" They landed and Vegeta consulted the Scouter, looking methodical. "I can feel It." Goku nodded in response.  
  
Discovering a damaged spaceship, they slipped in. Goku pointed it out first. "What's this doing here?" he whispered. "Nagareboshi never used a spaceship."  
  
"Seems Chikyuu's had visitors before," Trunks answered. "I wonder why they never surfaced."  
  
"Nagareboshi probably got to them first," Vegeta replied wryly. "Now be quiet."  
  
They eventually came upon a huge, empty chamber. In the middle sat a large, pulsating mass. Roughly egg-like in shaped, thick veins wrapped around its glowing surface. Vegeta made a face and checked the Scouter to be sure. "That's It."  
  
"That!?" Goten's expression mimicked Vegeta's.  
  
Goku stepped forward, his jaw set. Between clenched teeth, "Let's say hello."  
  
They spread out around the egg and went Super Saiyajin. Charging up their attacks, they all let loose at once, hoping to destroy It quickly.  
  
"KAMEHAMEHA!!!"  
  
"FINAL FLASH!!!"  
  
"BURNING ATTACK!!!"  
  
"ICHI-BAI KOUGEKI!!!"  
  
Four ki beams lanced out and struck the mass together. The resulting explosion pushed all four warriors back several meters. Judging by the light and the heat, it was as if someone had dropped a small star in the room. When the light faded and the dust subsided, there was an enormous crater where the egg had sat.  
  
Unfortunately, floating above the crater was a vaguely humanoid being. An all too familiar face grinning evilly, cat-slanted eyes laughing silently like a madman. It's body was entirely black save for patches of red armor on It's head, shoulders, forearms, and shins. It's prehensile feet flexed as It's tail swung indolently. ""Now, now. That was just uncalled for."" Nagareboshi drawled, It's multi-layered voice resonating eerily off the vast chamber ceiling.  
  
"Kuso!!" Vegeta swore, backing into a fighting stance. Trunks and Goten followed suit, Goku was the only one not preparing himself. He's been waiting for this. He was already prepared. This would be the final battle.  
  
""Hmm... Four little Saiyajin, sitting in a tree..."" It sing-songed. ""And what's this? Ah, you're the one! I've been waiting for my revenge, Legendary."" Nagareboshi landed, It's tail slapping the ground with a crash. 


	10. Episode 10

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 10 -- The Insane Beast Has Awakened!! Fight Hard, Z Soldiers!!  
  
Goten took in a deep breath, fighting off the fear that welled up from the pit of his stomach. He had never guessed what Nagareboshi might look like and was caught off guard. The strange grace in Its posture seemed contradictory to the sparkle of mad glee in Its narrow eyes. Trunks too, was shaken. All the training and all the preparation escaped him in this moment. At a loss, Trunks' hand slowly eased up over his shoulder, a tight grip on his sword's handle the only security available.  
  
Across from the teens, Vegeta stood at the ready, his muscles tensed and ready, like a coiled spring that could snap at any moment. A bead of sweat rolled down his brow, but he ignored it. [What is this!?] his mind raged, [Now It looks like some twisted mockery of Freeza! Is this part of Its power as well?] Out of the corner of his eye, Vegeta could see Goku, the younger man's chest heaving with seething anger. [Is It doing this on purpose? To goad Kakarotto!?]  
  
Nagareboshi simply hovered in place, watching and waiting. The look on Goku's face satisfied the beast's sadistic mind and was like food for Its ego. Its lips curled into a half-grin, half-sneer and raised a deceptively delicate hand, motioning the Saiyajin forward.  
  
Burning with fury, Goku could wait no longer and attacked in a flare of ki. The ground splintered under the stress of his power and he launched himself at his foe head on. Goku opened up with a wicked triple punch combination striking at the head, chest, and neck. Avoiding them easily, Nagareboshi spun to the side and grabbed Goku's wrist with Its tail. With a lazy flick, It tossed the Saiyajin aside.  
  
Vegeta rushed in, unleashing an onslaught of punches and kicks, rapidly striking without pattern. Few landed and the creature blocked easily, then sidestepped, chopping at the back of his neck. It was going to perform an overhead smash when Goku kicked at the back of Its head. Nagareboshi's head snapped and It reflexively lashed out with Its tail, seizing Goku around the waist. Goku kicked again, but was smashed into Vegeta.  
  
Trunks saw an opening, he immediately dashed in, signalling to Goten to take to the air. Just as Nagareboshi was about to strike at the fallen warriors, Trunks sped in and bowled It over with a well-placed lariat. This gave the older men just enough time to get out of the line of fire as Goten powered up above them and pummeled his off-balance foe with an onslaught of ki blasts. Rolling away in the nick of time, Nagareboshi jumped to Its feet and flew up to punch Goten squarely in the face, propelling the surprised youth into the ceiling.  
  
Turning to strike again, Trunks attempted a sneak attack from below, but Nagareboshi slapped him in the face with It's tail, then began choking him. Nagareboshi brought him up to eye level. ""You are very strong. You will be an excellent addition to my...collection."" It reached up to seize his face with It's hand, but Trunks quickly drew his sword, shearing Nagareboshi's arm clear off. It dropped Trunks and backed away, but was hit by two kienzan, nearly cutting It in half, blue-ish blood spraying all around. Amazingly, It seemed unharmed as the fatal wounds closed immediately. Nagareboshi smirked as a new arm sprouted from the bloody shoulder. It flexed a hand, then looked up with a smirk.  
  
"Kusottare!!" Vegeta attacked again, this time rushing in to strike then pulling out, over and over. On one such turn, Nagareboshi caught him with Its tail and struck back. Its graceful movements almost like some morbid dance, Nagareboshi laughed with joy as It pounded away at the stunned prince. Finally, a disturbing crack could be heard as It smashed Vegeta across the rib cage with Its tail, slapping him aside. Nagareboshi raised two fingers, then slashed down quickly, launching his attack. Goku snatched Vegeta out of the air as the Daichiretsudan cutting a deep row in the floor, extending to over a hundred meters to the far wall.  
  
"Let go of me, baka!" Vegeta pulled away, revolted by Goku's touch. He cocked his head back, wiping some blood off his chin. His armor had deep rents from the blows and one large fracture in the middle spread into a web of spidery cracks.  
  
"Hn! Do itashimashite!" Goku chuckled. Seeing Nagareboshi charging up for an attack, Goku pushed Vegeta out of the way and ducked to the side.  
  
""CHOU KIKOUHOU!!!"" Nagareboshi launched the attack, a lightning fast ki bolt that burned the air and created a wave of intense heat.  
  
"That's...Tenshinhan's attack," Goku growled.  
  
""What's wrong? Does it anger you?"" Nagareboshi cackled and let loose another blast. Scorching the air, It fired again and again, laughing all the while.  
  
"Kuso!" Goku turned to see that Vegeta was equally angered. "Vegeta! Together!"  
  
The two fired a combined attack, ki bolts flashing through the air. Still laughing, Nagareboshi dodged faster than the eye could follow, flashing in and out of sight as It zipped around the multitude of explosions. Goten and Trunks joined in from above catching Nagareboshi in a crossfire.  
  
Deciding enough was enough, It dropped from the air and hit the ground, digging craters with It's feet. The four warriors turned just in time to see Nagareboshi generate thousands of ki balls and launch them into the air. However, the orbs did not attack, hanging listlessly in the air.  
  
"Nande kuso!?" Vegeta mumbled, half to himself.  
  
Goku felt a foreboding feeling. A flash of memory and he called out--almost too late, "Abunai!!"  
  
All of a sudden, the spheres of ki sprung to life, zipping around hectically. It was frantic trying to avoid all of them and explosions sounded off around the room, dislodging debris from the high ceiling.  
  
"" Hahahaha!! So! How do you like the Susen no Sukidan?"" Nagareboshi laughed Its head off as Its opponents dashed comically through the air, trying to avoid the attack It had stolen. ""The one called Yamucha was saving this to use against me,"" It noted aloud. ""I hope it hurts you as much as he wanted it to hurt me! HAHAHAHA!!!!""  
  
Constantly rocked by explosions, Vegeta's patience had already worn down and he lashed out. "SHYOUGEKIHA!!!" The Saiyajin's body became the center of a titanic explosion as every ki orb in the blast radius was instantly vaporized.  
  
Nagareboshi merely smiled and shook Its head. It jumped straight up and flew at Vegeta, digging into his stomach with Its fist, the Saiyajin's armor shattering under the force of the blow. Vegeta doubled over, blood spewing from his mouth. Nagareboshi drew back and fired a ki beam, enveloping the Saiyajin no Ouji in pure energy. Stunned, Vegeta fell from the air, tatters of his uniform floating listlessly. Trunks rushed down and caught his father, straining under the weight.  
  
Meanwhile, Goku flew in to confront his enemy and wound up for a punch. Nagareboshi flipped back to avoid, preparing a scissor kick, but Goku spun and kneed It in the back. Surprised, Nagareboshi failed to guard against an overhead smash and was knocked into the floor. Goku then fired a ki and blasted a huge crater into the ground.  
  
The four gathered to watch as the smoke cleared. Only Goku did not seem visibly shocked to see Nagareboshi push away a few boulders and stand up unharmed. It absently wiped a bit of blood from It's chin. It crossed It's arms and threw It's head back to laugh. ""You are so pitifully weak! Let's say we end this now!"" With that, Nagareboshi launched into the air and stopped well above their heads. Raising a finger, It created and enormous ball of ki, vaporizing the ceiling and allowing the red-hued light of day break to slink into the ruined chamber.  
  
Vegeta was surprised at this unexpected technique. "A Sh-Shitama!? Then..."  
  
Goku nodded gravely. "Hai, it's no coincidence. Looks just like Freeza..."  
  
From above, ""So! You discovered my dirty little secret! It is true! I absorbed the one called Furiza in the empty space that was once occupied by Namek-sei! But where he failed I shall succeed!"" Seeing no reason to delay, Nagareboshi threw the Death Ball towards the ground.  
  
Quickly, Goku crafted a plan. "Boys, circle around! Vegeta, it's up to you!"  
  
Goten and Trunks responded instantly, but Vegeta hovered in front of him. "What are you going to do!?" the prince demanded.  
  
"I'm going to give you an opening!" he called before flying up to intercept the Shitama. Steeling himself, Goku gathered his strength and threw out his hands, catching the deadly orb. The Saiyajin gritted his teeth as it burned his hands, but his newly regained resolve would not fail again. Using all his strength, Goku managed to halt its descent and what would surely have ended in the destruction of Chikyuu. Two dark shapes in the sea of light told him the plan was working.  
  
Amazed by Goku's apparently suicidal move, Nagareboshi didn't see Goten and Trunks close in on Its sides. They struck together, dealing blow after blow with enough force to actually draw blood, the blue ichor splattered on Its face and running down welts on Its body.  
  
Nagareboshi spun, whipping It's tail around. Knowing when to back off, the two gave Vegeta a clear opening. Quickly pointing one flattened palm at the beast, he charged up and let fly his vengence. "BIG BANG ATTACK!!!" The shot tore through the air and its target had no idea as the beam penetrated Nagareboshi's back and exploded out from Its gut, gore spraying in open air.  
  
With a shout, Goku dugs his fingers into the giant ball of ki and swung it around towards his foe. Nagareboshi peered through swollen eyes as Its own Shitama was turned against it. The mid-air explosion created a violent backdraft that swirled around the Z Senshi.  
  
When it ended, Goten and Trunks cheered as the comatose form of Nagareboshi plummeted to the ground and landed with a resounding crash. "Yaaaahahaha!!!" Goten hollered, slapping his friend on the back. "Yatta!!" He shook his fist in triumph.  
  
Substantially more subdued, Trunks allowed himself a broad grin and nodded in response. "Hai!"  
  
"Dame da!!" Vegeta called back. He and Goku both knew something was wrong. It was too easy.  
  
Suddenly, an eerie light emanated from Nagareboshi's crater and a creature rose up. The light faded and what was revealed was truly horrifying. The creature, rather Nagareboshi, was now considerably taller and had an odd tendril projecting from Its forehead that arched around to I's back. It had dark purple-ish skin with grey speckles. Nagareboshi's chin seemed fused with It's thick neck and an insanely feral grin was plastered on Its face.  
  
Nagareboshi rose into the air. ""This is good. I didn't expect a challenge and it feels good to try out my new 'acquisitions'. This spaceship arrived some years ago. I wouldn't have noticed it if they didn't land on the cave in which I hibernated. Whoever they were, the crew proved an excellent snack,"" the beast chuckled. ""I found this thing as well and it was a welcome boost of power, but I was forced back into slumber. Consider yourselves lucky I didn't attack sooner."" Flexing It's new, enlarged muscles, Nagareboshi drew into a fighting stance. ""But now I want to test the power I got from them.""  
  
Vegeta smirked wryly, chuckling softly. "Yarou. Do you really beleive that you're the only one who has become stronger?" he asked calmly. "I suppose there's no point in delaying any further. Let me show you what _I've_ been doing these past years." With that, he strained his body and flared his aura, which grew brighter and hotter than ever. Nagareboshi watched on in interest as strands of crackling electricity rose off of the prince's body. His hair grew into an even wilder corona of spikes and his muscles surged with new power. "I've finally surpassed you, Kakarotto," Vegeta said with a grimace. "This is a power beyond that of a normal Super Saiyajin. You could call it, Super Saiyajin 2."  
  
Despite himself, Goku grinned. "Now we'll definitely need to have a rematch!"  
  
"Sorry I couldn't save this for you," the Saiyajin no Ouji replied.  
  
Vegeta shot forward and attacked Nagareboshi furiously. Blows rained down on the creature that might have torn Its previous form apart. However, Nagareboshi's flesh seemed far too pliant and It hovered, calmly soaking up the punches and kicks unaffected. Fed up, Vegeta drew back and fired a huge ki blast at point blank range. But the shape-shifter wasn't going to be caught in another blast and nimbly dodged it, then spun and kicked Vegeta in the crotch. The Saiyajin Prince was flung back with a pained--and high-pitched--grunt.  
  
From below, Trunks flashed by with lightning speed, his sword slicing Nagareboshi cleanly in half up the middle. However, he didn't get to observe his handiwork for It instantly fused back together and laughed, firing a ki blast at Trunks back. The teen stumbled in the hair and Goku jumped in to protect him.  
  
Delivering a fierce right cross, Goku followed up with a roundhouse, then an uppercut. Nagareboshi recovered far too quickly and snapped Its head forward, striking Goku in the face with Its forelock, which opened a wound in Goku's right cheek. A line of red trickled down his face and Goku winced at the sting of it.  
  
"Now you have a matching pair! Hahaha --" But Its laughter was cut off as Goten smashed into Its side and follwed up with a hail storm of comet-like ki bolts, which rained down on Nagareboshi. The stunned monster reeled throught air, heading directly for Trunks, whose ki was gathering in a sphere of energy above his hands. With an enraged shout, he brought his hands down in an arc and threw the Finish Buster, blasting Nagreboshi. It fell from the air and tumbled towards the ground.  
  
Back in the proverbial saddle, Vegeta flew in and delivered a fierce drop kick to Nagareboshi's face, driving Its head into a mountain hundreds of meters below. Joining the others above, they all launched a firestorm of ki bolts, blasting away at the mountain until all that remained was dust and rubble. Shaking his fist as if shaking dice, Goten mumbled to himself. "C'mon... c'moooon! Just be _dead_!"  
  
Like a ghost, Nagareboshi's form slowly rose, throwing aside the rubble. It tilted Its head to the side, eliciting cracks from its neck bones. The creature crossed Its arms and yawned.  
  
Dropping out of Super Saiyajin, Goku seemed strangely at ease and floated back a few meters. "I need you to keep It busy..... Five minutes, that's all I need....." 


	11. Episode 11

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 11 -- Gimme Five Minutes!! Goku's Desperate Plan!!  
  
"Five minutes, that's all I need....."  
  
Using the back of his glove, Vegeta wiped a bit of blood from his brow and eyed Goku warily. "What are you planning, Kakarotto?"  
  
Goku's eyes narrowed and he regarded the three with an apologetic frown. "......Nagareboshi is playing with us. It didn't expect this to be a real fight and powerful as you may be now....I don't know if we can beat It at this rate."  
  
Goten whirled around, as if frightened Nagareboshi would attack when he wasn't looking, but the bizarre shape-shifter was simply standing there, watching them from afar. He slowly floated up next to his father, though not quite taking his eyes from his foe. "You're kidding, ne, tousan? Ne?"  
  
"We can barely keep up as it is," Trunks added, "Your absence might be all It needs to beat us..."  
  
The older warrior gave the two teens a weary, yet warm, smile. "Oi, don't be like that. You've been training blind, but now ya know how It fights. I trust you'll do fine."  
  
"Enough of the bull shit, Kakarotto!" Vegeta barked. He took Goku by the shoulder, roughly spinning him to face the frustrated prince. "What is going through that empty head of yours!? Has your retarded brain rotted enough that you've hatched another hare-brained scheme!?"  
  
Seeming no worse for the verbal assault, Goku chuckled soundlessly. "C'mon now, Vegeta. Have a little faith in me, if only this once."  
  
"......"  
  
"T-tousan....?" Goten started, but trailed off as Vegeta turned to face the boys.  
  
Not bothering to look over his shoulder, "Five minutes, huh? We can do at least that. Don't screw this up, Kakarotto, or we'll have our rematch _real_ soon." Vegeta flared his aura and pushed his ki up, the strain evident as veins began to bulge across his muscles. "Let's go you lazy bakas!" Vegeta shouted at his two students, "Did I train two men or did I waste my time on whimpering children?"  
  
Trunks and Goten each replied with a resounding 'Hai!' and followed suit, separating just enough so they didn't flash-fry each other with their battle auras. Heating the air to oven temperatures in an instant, the three Saiyajin forced themselves to the pinnacle of their power. The two youths couldn't match the sheer magnitude of ki of their teacher, but they tried their utmost to make up for it in raw physical power. Electricity crackled between them as their muscles pumped up until both Goten and Trunks were nearly twice their original size.  
  
Vegeta nodded, satisfied that this was the farthest they could get for the moment and rocketed down towards the ground, leading the way in a charge on their adversary.  
  
Meanwhile, Goku raised his arms up to the sky and blocked out all sights, sounds, and thoughts in order to calm his heart. He let his muscles relax and took deep breaths, calling out to the planet with his mind. [Chikyuu no okaasama...I know I ain't been the best son, but you hafta forgive me....for now, for just long enough....to do this right......]  
  
Seeing Its enemies rush down, Nagareboshi put two fingers to Its head, then whipped them forward, "CHOU MAKKANKUSAPPU!!!" The screw beam cut through the air, but was easily avoided by the three, already expecting a head-on attack.  
  
"You'll have to do better than that!!" Vegeta raged as he fired his own ki beam. Nagareboshi knocked it aside and flew up to meet Vegeta in the air. Finally going on the offensive, It lashed out with lightning fast blows, severely beating upon the Saiyajin's face and chest.  
  
However, over two-hundred kilograms of Saiyajin landed on Nagareboshi's shoulders as It was crushed under Goten and Trunks' combined mass. They rebounded off as It was knocked down to the ground and closed in again with Vegeta, assaulting the creature with crushing blows just as It got to Its feet. They flew as a group across the ground and through the air, trading blows faster than the eye could follow.  
  
[The mountains... the trees... the oceans... the animals... and every person on this planet...]  
  
Mountains so big that even the mighty forces of nature couldn't weather away were torn apart amidst their fierce melee. Having forced Nagareboshi on the defensive, the trio of Saiyajin beat It relentlessly with all their power.  
  
Goten and Trunks swerved around to Its back and struck, pounding dents into Its flesh. Vegeta flipped and kicked at Nagareboshi's 'chin', rocking the beast's body with the sheer force of the blow. Attempting to counter, Nagareboshi spun, attacking randomly to break up their formation. But they each deftly avoided Its desperate attacks and found an opening on which to close in, again pummeling the creature.  
  
Becoming frustrated, Nagareboshi reached out and grabbed Trunks and Goten's heads, smashing them together, the both of them spitting up blood. Ducking around the collision, Vegeta struck with a mule kick and grabbed Its forelock to knee It in the face. Nagareboshi recovered quickly and seized Vegeta's ankle, tossing him aside and into a mountain, the shattered stone burying him under tons of rubble.  
  
[Onegai, lend me your power......]  
  
Goten took Trunks by the hand and swung him around, then let go, propelling his friend at Nagareboshi. His enemy caught off guard, Trunks plowed into the creature and flew with all his strength, powering his surprised foe into a mountain. Leaving Nagareboshi half buried in the rock face, Trunks drew his sword and struck. He knew it would only serve to aggravate the shape-shifter, but even then, with each slash of the perfect razor edge, he could cut off an arm or a leg or open a gaping wound in Its torso that needed to be healed, slowing it down that much more.  
  
Trunks was relentless and would have sliced the beast to ribbons if not for the regenerative abilities of Its puddy-like body. Nagareboshi cussed at the young Saiyajin--during the intervals when It still had a mouth at least--until the lavender-haired youth grew annoyed. With a malicious grin that would do his father proud, Trunks formed a ki orb in his free hand and promptly shoved it in the creature's gaping maw. A look of what could only be described as shock passed across Nagareboshi's face and Trunks back-peddled just soon enough to avoid being sprayed with gore as Its head and neck detonated in a flash of fire and charred purple flesh.  
  
Forcing himself to fly backwards as fast as possible, Trunks left Nagareboshi's flailing body, even as the head began to slowly reform. Shouting as loud as he could in his mind, [Goten!!! IMA!!!!!]  
  
[The world is burnt...but the people live...as long as there is hope....lend me your power!]  
  
High up, Goten had held his ground and had been amassing his ki for a hay-maker blast. The ball of ki held tightly between his hands looked like a star from afar, which was nearly blinding to Goten as he struggled to concentrate it further. Finally catching Trunks mental signal, Goten pointed the deadly orb down at its target and barked with laughter. "How 'bout a taste of your own medicine, chikuSHOOOO!!!"  
  
Letting his rage spill forth, the pillar of energy blasted down from the heavens like the wrath of some angry god. Flashing past Trunks--so close that it burned away his sleeve--it shot earth-ward and splashed across the rocks like napalm, but for only a moment before the very mountain melted under the extreme heat. The backlash of the explosion created some fierce turbulence and Trunks feared he would fall into it when he felt a pair of hands on his back, steadying him.  
  
"I gotcha, Trunks," Goten shouted over the roaring winds.  
  
"Oi, remind me to never get you mad at me," Trunks joked. Regaining his balance, he and Goten rose above the affects of the blast and looked up at Goku. He seemed frozen in place, not moving an inch, completely absorbed in his task. Above him, a globe of sparkling blue ki consumed the sky, wispy clouds swirling around it as it slowly gained mass.  
  
"Sugoi," Goten breathed, "I don't know which is more daunting: How big that is, or that tousan and jisan think we need it to destroy Nagareboshi..."  
  
Nodding, "Agreed..." Blinking like something had just occurred to him, Trunks hastily surveyed the landscape below. "Kuso, we forgot Papa!"  
  
"Let's go look for him!"  
  
[......c'mon! I know you've got more to give! Onegai shimasu! I need your power!]  
  
Goten and Trunks hastily flew down to the mountain Vegeta had been buried under and started throwing aside rocks in an effort to find him. After a few minutes, the explosion from Goten's blast was dying down and Goku still didn't seem ready, so they picked up the pace by just punching through the big boulders until they heard a groan. Working ever harder, they eventually uncovered a blood-stained white glove. About to drag him out, Vegeta stood up, throwing off debris and scaring the crap out of the two youths.  
  
Vegeta was dirty and bruised, but seemed no worse off than before. Taking deep, slow breaths, he eventually caught his second wind and recovered enough to growl, "...K-kisama...kono yogore...."  
  
Trunks helped his father to his feet, waiting until the elder Saiyajin was steady before stepping back. "Daijoubu, Papa?"  
  
"Feh, I'm not dead yet." Vegeta looked over to the explosion, which was now almost gone, and appraised the damage. A smirk graced his face for just a moment and the prince rose into the air, absent-mindedly worked a kink out of his shoulder. Trunks and Goten knew that would be the best compliment they could get and followed him up. As they approached the crater, Vegeta glanced up at Goku, the ki sphere growing still and giving off a glow that bathed the battle ground in a blue hue. [Kuso, still not as big as the one he used on Furiza...] Aloud, "We still need to give him more time, so let's get to it."  
  
Goten, who was still a bit drained from pouring out so much ki, followed just behind Vegeta while Trunks took point and was the first to reach the crater. Peering through the smoke and debris, Trunks turned back to the others and cheerily announced that they had thoroughly trounced Nagareboshi. "I think we did it!"  
  
Distracted, Trunks didn't notice the rocks below him part and Nagareboshi's battered form rocket up towards him. Out of the corner of his eye, Trunks saw a streak of movement and turned just in time to see the creature's enraged face and was frozen with surprise. Time seemed to slow down for the teen and every detail of his adversary's face was clear, every scratch, every welt, the flared nostrils, blood shot eyes, contorted wrinkles. His mind a blank, Trunks could do nothing but watch as the shape-shifter drew ever closer, as It reached out for him, and as Vegeta knocked him aside to be caught in the beast's grasp instead.  
  
Nagareboshi carried Vegeta ever higher, past Trunks, up to the clouds. Unhindered by battle and driven by a greed for power, It moved too fast for Trunks and Goten to keep up and climbed higher and higher. Then stopped. Holding Vegeta's head in an iron grip, the creature eyed Its struggling prey. Finally, drawing upon Its innate abilities, Nagareboshi began to absorb the Saiyajin no Ouji.  
  
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Fueled by his guardian's tortured screams of pain, Goten pushed harder than ever and streaked up to intercept, his punch lancing out with all his strength. Almost casually, Nagareboshi caught the blow with Its free hand, holding a shocked Goten by the forearm. Giving Its assailant a vicious twist, It snapped Goten's arm and then roughly pulled him to the side, nearly tearing the youth's arm out of it's socket.  
  
"G-gk-kk-gaaaaAAAAAHHH!!!!!!"  
  
Trunks, having finally recovered, tore through the sky like a bat out of hell, his battle cry nearly drowning out those of his best friend and father. Bearing all the rage and power he could muster, the lavender-haired warrior brought his sword to bear and slashed, shearing off the arm that held Goten and spun to free his father, but in that short moment, Nagareboshi attacked. Ignoring Its falling appendage, It lunged at Trunks with the stump of Its arm and smashed the young warrior's throat. Eyes glazed witht he sudden pain, it was a wonder he didn't drop his sword.  
  
And Goten, barely conscious from the pain in his arm, could only watch as his best friend chocked on his own Adam's Apple. 


	12. Episode 12

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 12 -- Could This Be The End!? I Won't Allow It!!  
  
[Chotto matte, minna! You've gotta hold on! I need more time!]  
  
Goku watched on from afar, his mind raging with conflict. Trying to help the others now might save them, but the Genki Dama was yet strong enough to kill Nagareboshi. However, if he waited to gather more power, Vegeta and the boys would most certainly be dead, or worse...  
  
Meanwhile, Trunks gagged, slowly turning a shade of purple to match his hair. With Goten busted up, his father slowly dying, and Goku otherwise occupied--[What's taking him so damn long!?]--the lavender-haired Saiyajin knew it was up to him. Mustering his quickly-fading strength, Trunks balled a fist and punched himself just below the rib cage as hard as he could. The sudden jar forced the last wisps of air from his lungs, opening his windpipe just enough to breathe in air sweetened by the relief.  
  
Bolstered by his second wind, Trunks paused for a glance at Goten, then turned up to his enemy. "Chikushome," he growled. Trunks launched up to attack Nagareboshi, trying either to pull away his father or slice off the beast's arm. However, the young warrior was slowed by fatigue and Nagareboshi laughingly dodged every move the half-Saiyajin made while carelessly whipping the twitching Vegeta around by his head.  
  
""Well, boy! Is that the best you can do?"" the creature mocked. Furious, Trunks rushed in for a blow, but Nagareboshi delivered a fierce back hand to the teen's face, knocking him aside. ""How disappointing, and here I thought you were strong. But no, you're weak!""  
  
"Dame!!" Goten shouted. Having pushed passed the pain, the youngest warrior flew up and round house kicked Nagareboshi in the head. "You shut up and let him GO!!" Goten kicked again and again, trying his damnedest, but failing.  
  
Growing aggravated, Nagareboshi grabbed Goten by the leg and threw him at Trunks. The two fell from the air, falling to the rocky terrain below in a bone-jarring crash. ""Those two, such trouble makers! Na, ouji-sama?"" It laughed.  
  
Weak and dying, Vegeta's fading mind shouted obscenities at his foe, but his body would not comply. It was like being sucked away, his very soul being pulled out through his face. Vegeta could feel his mind open and Nagareboshi absorbed the thoughts, sounds, images, reading the prince like a book. Vegeta saw his life literally flash before his eyes. The upbringing as a Saiyajin prince. The frustration as Furiza's obedient soldier. The isolation of being the last of his kind. The rage of always being in Goku's shadow. And then, new memories.  
  
A young blue-haired woman giving him a sly, clever smile.  
  
A lavender-haired baby cooing happily, held in his father's shaking arms.  
  
A boy with wild, raven hair smiling mischievously.  
  
Feelings welled up in Vegeta. Feelings that were strange, foreign, unexpected. Comforting. By sheer will alone, Vegeta opened an eye and stared directly into Nagareboshi's. "Kuta...bacchi....mae....." he rasped, blood spilling from between his lips.  
  
""Aaahh, so you have some fight left in you, it seems."" Chuckling evilly, Nagareboshi turned to look down at Goten and Trunks. Goten's prone form stirred only slightly, but the latter was slowly rising to his feet, winded but still kicking. Flattening Its free hand down at the two, energy crackled in the air as the creature slowly, agonizingly slowly, gather Its ki. ""Well, let's see if we can't cut that last thread of hope.""  
  
Ready to fire, It paused as something was shoved roughly in Its face. Looking past the white gloved hand, Nagareboshi stared back at the Saiyajin no Ouji. "I said...fuck you....and I MEANT IT!!!" With a shout, Vegeta released the last of his ki in one final attack, scorching Nagareboshi's face at point-blank range and rocking the beast back. It cringed from the blast, and screamed, clutching Its face and dropping Vegeta.  
  
No longer able to hold himself in the air, Vegeta dropped like a rock. [Kakarotto, that's the best I could do. You're on your own now,] was his final thought as he slipped into unconsciousness, rapidly approaching the ground.  
  
Woozy from the crash and the loss of blood, it took a moment for it to register in Trunks' mind that his father was going to break his neck. Finally dawning on him, Trunks snapped to attention and hurriedly took to the air. Moments before impact, Trunks latched onto his father's boot and pulled. Unexpectedly dragged down by his father's weight, Trunks lost his balance and the two tumbled down the rest of the way together. Considerably slower than before, they hit and rolled a ways, coming to a stop.  
  
Groggy but otherwise unharmed by the fall, Trunks climbed shakily to his feet and faced the heavens, ready to defend his father from Nagareboshi. High up, the beast roared with fury and shot earth-ward, plummeting towards the ground. It cleared a bank of clouds, burning them away with the heat of Its passing and prepared to strike. Finally coming just close enough to vaguely make out Its target's face, Nagareboshi froze. Trunks' face was neither clouded with anger, or contorted in fear. In fact, he was smiling.  
  
At whatever was just over Nagareboshi's shoulder.  
  
The creature whirled, finding Itself face to face with a small star, at least a fifty meters wide and sparkling with a hue too vibrantly blue to be natural. The giant sphere of ki bore down on Nagareboshi and It panicked, firing a ki bolt at it, which was summarily sucked up into the orb's mass. ""OH SH--"" But Its words were cut of by the resounding crackle of electricity as the Genki Dama smashed into It.  
  
All of a sudden, the calm skies became a raging storm. The wind accelerated, going from a gentle breeze to a violent whirlwind in moments. Dark, menacing clouds swirled around the enormous blue globe as it sank down into the earth. Smashing through the terrain farther and farther, tracks of land were ripped up and sucked into the vortex left by the giant sphere's passing. The sky too was torn asunder, frenetic bolts of lightning striking out like some wild serpent to biting into the earth, blowing away chunks of rock and soil. The crash of thunder was deafening and each strike made it seem as if the very world would be ripped in two.  
  
Amidst it all, Goku hung in the air still. Even buffeted by wind and lightning, the warrior held his ground, using all his strength and concentration to push the Genki Dama down on top of his hated enemy. Down below, Trunks held tightly onto the bodies of Goten and Vegeta, trying futilely to shelter them from the end of the world.  
  
And then, it blew.  
  
*BBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBBBBBB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*  
  
Light filled the sky, the gentle yellow glow of Sol over-powered by a searing blue radiance. Blinded by the light, Goku was knocked from the sky by the resulting shockwave. He felt the crazy, panicked feeling of being thrown until finally falling close enough to the ground that he could reach out and stop his spinning. He grabbed the edge of a large boulder and--though quickly loosing his grip--managed to slow himself so he fell straight to the rocks below. He felt the rough granite grind through his gi, rubbing his skin raw. But it was definitely a more welcome sensation than uncontrollable freefall.  
  
As he lay there, falling debris covered Goku and he was buried under the rubble of what was once a mountain. It felt like forever. Waiting for something. Air running out. Flesh torn and bleeding. Muscles tired, stretched beyond their capabilities. Goku was never a religious man, but just this once, he prayed. But not for himself.  
  
Sounds. Sounds of movement, the hard smashing of rock against rock. Shouts. Desperate, Goku reached up and pushed through the rock as best he could, trying to reach the source of these sounds. Finally, a feeling other than the pressure of being weighted down. Warmth, something grasping his hand, and the sensation of movement. Being pulled. And then, the air.  
  
Goku gasped, sucking in air like he had been holding his breath for a month. The sudden light in his face would have been blinding if he wasn't already suffering the effects of the Genki Dama's explosion. The soft heat of the sun beat down on his back, a welcome change from the suffocatingly humid heat of being buried alive. A cool breeze blew lazily across Goku's face and he stood, his senses returning with each life-giving breath.  
  
"Tousan, daijoubu desu ka?" asked Goten.  
  
"Hai, I think so," Goku replied, a bit unsteady on his feet. Holding onto his son for support, the older warrior straightened out and paused, making sure he really was. "What about you? That arm looks pretty bad."  
  
Goten laughed and winced. "Eh, I haven't forgotten 'bout it, but I think it'll be okay."  
  
"Where are the others?"  
  
"Over there," Goten answered, pointing over his shoulder. Just behind him, Trunks was busy tending to Vegeta, who had just begun to regain consciousness.  
  
"Papa? Are you all right? Papa?"  
  
"Stop fawning over me, brat," Vegeta hissed between cracked, bloody lips. "I'm still breathing aren't I?"  
  
"Yeah, I think Vegeta's gonna be okay," Goku laughed. Leaning back, he stretched, trying to ease sore muscles into working properly again. "That was close, to close."  
  
"You're tellin' me," Goten agreed with a chuckle, but cringed again. "What'd'ya say we get back. I'm real eager for a dunk in the regen tank, ne?" Goku flashed a grin and nodded.  
  
"Oi, Goten! Gimme a hand here!" Trunks called. His friend rushed over and the two pulled Vegeta to his feet, the prince swearing a blue streak at the pain of being moved. Ignoring him, they carried the older man to Goku and the group slowly rose into the air. "You know, I cant help thinking this was all so anti-climactic."  
  
"How so?" Goten asked.  
  
Trunks shrugged, careful not to dislodge his cargo. "Well, I can't pin it down. And aside from some seriously messy landscaping, nothing really changed from when we left Capsule Corp last night, you know?"  
  
"Was it really just last night?" Goten grinned. "Felt like weeks to me. But really, you can't expect life to be like one of those weird manga of yours."  
  
"I know _that_," Trunks countered. "I just feel like it's not over."  
  
""That's because it _isn't_."" 


	13. Episode 13

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 13 -- Is Nagareboshi Immortal!? The Shocking Amazing Transformation!!  
  
Trunks was the first to react, quickly dumping his father onto Goten. Ripping his sword from it's sheath, he whirled and threw it with all his remaining strength. The silver blade flashed in its flight and cut into Nagareboshi's shoulder, who was too weary to evade, for all the good it did.  
  
Goku, just ahead of the group, hurried towards them to hold Trunks back, but was too slow as the younger man shot forward and attacked. Blasting back into Super Saiyajin, the purple-haired warrior delivered a fierce left hook to Nagareboshi's jaw, then spun, ripping his sword from Its body. Swinging the sword around in a wide arc, he brought it down in a slash aimed at the head, but the beast simply caught Trunks' wrists in a vice grip.  
  
""Enough,"" It hissed. Raising Its other hand, Nagareboshi fired a ki wave that enveloped Trunks, slamming him back and into the ground. With the same hand outstretched, It pointed down into the crater left be Trunks' body, over which energy was gathering visibly. ""Such a nuisance." Closing Its fist, the energy condensed and the wide-eyed Trunks had just enough time to scream as it detonated.  
  
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Vegeta looked shocked for only a moment before his features contorted into a visage of pure rage. He tried to push Goten away, but the half-Saiyajin would not let him go. Struggling with one hand to hold Vegeta back, "Yamero, jisan! Stay back! It'll kill you!!"  
  
Nagareboshi flared Its aura and shot forward. ""I'll kill you either way!!!" It shouted, flying in for the finishing blow. It wound up a punch aimed at Vegeta and attacked. But at the last second, Goten shoved his guardian out of the way and took the punch right in the back. The last pieces of his fighting jacket shattered, just barely keeping the creature's fist from ramming into the young Son's spine. Goten froze, a stab of pain lancing throughout his body, burning his nerves like fire. He tumbled to the ground in a heap.  
  
"KISAMAAAA!!!!" Vegeta screamed. He struck out at Nagareboshi again and again, inflicting no damage and only wearing himself out more. Giving the prince a sneer of contempt, the creature lifted Its arm and prepared to knock the Saiyajin aside when Goku moved in. He decked Nagareboshi across the face, then flared Super Saiyajin and followed through with the other fist, sending his foe soaring back a dozen meters.  
  
"Get down, lemme handle this!!" Goku shouted in Vegeta's face, trying to get the older warrior to back down. But the prince would have none of it and tried to fight past him. Practically foaming at the mouth, all rational thought was clouded with boundless fury. "....Sumimasen, Vegeta!" Goku said, delivering a swift punch to the kidney. Vegeta's mind snapping to attention from the pain, the apparently confused prince blinked twice and then fell, landing in a heap.  
  
Nagareboshi recovered and straightened out, watching all this from afar. ""So, you would strike down your own allies to get to me? I'm touched,"" It chuckled.  
  
Goku turned slowly, facing his opponent with an icy glare. "Don't misunderstand. I won't let you hurt them anymore." Bringing tightly balled fists to his sides, Goku spoke gravely. "Just you an' me now."  
  
""Yes, no more distractions," the creature agreed. Nagareboshi focused Its power again and streams of jet shot out of Its pores like a tea kettle. The steam surrounded It, but Goku could still feel the beast's power gathering. Beams of light broke through the cloud as Its power topped off. When the light faded, Goku was struck with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Splotches of gray spread over Its body now, but the head and upper chest were pale, normal looking skin. And it had...his face...Gohan's face! Those well-loved features twisted into a foul sneer and Nagareboshi ran a hand through Its new crop of black hair.  
  
In an instant, It advanced and struck, splitting Goku's lip with a vicious cross. The Saiyajin ducked and dodged a spinning backhand, but Nagareboshi clutched Its fists together and brought them down in an overhead smash on Goku's back. Rocked by the blow, Goku fell to the ground and tried to soften the fall with his hands and feet, but they broke through the surface rock and drilled down into the earth.  
  
Having effectively pinned himself to the ground, Goku struggled to get back on his feet. However, Nagareboshi made it first, touching down at the warrior's side. It swung a leg back and kicked, striking Goku in the ribs with enough force to tear him out of the ground. Goku reeled back and Nagareboshi flashed ahead of him. It stood calmly, waiting for Goku to approach, then brought up one foot and kicked out again. The combined forces slammed Goku to a stand-still and he wobbled on his feet. The creature moved in again for another blow, but Goku spun on his toes and brought his hands down in front of his face.  
  
"TAIYOU-KEN!!!" The flash of light blinded Nagareboshi and It reared back, clawing at Its eyes in pain. Taking the opportunity, Goku barreled into It and knocked the shape-shifter down to the ground. Smashing a crater in his haste, the Saiyajin flew up and back, charging his ki between his cupped hands along the way. Knowing the effects of the Sun Fist wouldn't last long, Goku stopped at a sufficient height and charged further.  
  
"KA...ME...HA...ME..."  
  
Nagareboshi roared and rocketed up towards Goku, though still a bit dazed from the Saiyajin's earlier attack. Approaching the warrior, It reached up and seized his neck. With a grip that could crush stone to powder, It squeezed Goku's neck, the man's face already flushed with blood. Even as the beast tried to break his neck, Goku held his ground, further gathering his ki. Nagareboshi quickly became frustrated by Goku's lack of reaction and moved Its face close his. ""What's wrong? Too afraid to fight back?"" It taunted.  
  
Goku gave the creature his patented lop-sized grin and flared his aura. The intense heat surprised Nagareboshi and It loosened Its grip just enough for Goku to vocalize his reply. "HAAAAAA!!!!!!!"  
  
Flattening both hands against his opponent's chest, Goku released the Kamehameha at point-blank range. The explosion was tremendous, throwing Goku back as he emptied his ki in one blast. Nagareboshi's cry of agony was a bitter sweet melody to Goku's ears as the beast was bathed in yet another sparkling blue light. The beam of ki expanded and shot out across the horizon, carrying Nagareboshi with it.  
  
Or so Goku thought.  
  
Taking a moment to get his breath back, Goku was caught off guard as the ki washed over Nagareboshi's singed but otherwise unharmed body. The Saiyajin looked up in shock as the shape-shifter streaked forward and lunged out with a bone-shattering punch to Goku's solar plexus. Goku folded like a cardboard box, his limbs sprawling out wildly and all the breath rushing out of his lungs.  
  
""You fool!"" Nagareboshi screeched. It hammered at Goku again, in the face, blood and sweat flying off his body. ""You can't hurt me!!" Another punch to the chest, fracturing two ribs. ""You will not defeat me!! You cannot defeat me!! YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME!!!!"" It raged, repeatedly pounding Goku's stunned body. Each sentence punctuated by another jarring blow, the beast pummeled away at the Saiyajin, beating him raw.  
  
Suddenly, Goku's body stiffened up. Caught up in Its anger, Nagareboshi became sloppy and Its next punch stopped. The other fist lanced out, but Goku caught that too, straining to hold his foe in place. "Anything is possible," Goku growled. Brining his knees up, the warrior rammed them into Nagareboshi's jaw, then kicked out to the creature's chest. "I won't defeat you!!" Goku shouted, "I'll kill you!!!"  
  
Goku's aura flamed a crackling mix of gold and crimson as he pulled out all the stops. Boosted by the Fist of the Worlds, the Saiyajin tore through the air and clocked Nagareboshi across the jaw. The creature spun with the force of the punch and Goku whipped his leg around in a roundhouse, smashing it across Its back. Pressing the attack, he returned the favor.  
  
"You gotta remember!!!"  
  
WHAM!  
  
"There's one thing that never changes!!!"  
  
WHAM!!  
  
"There's always!!!!"  
  
WHAM!!!  
  
"Someone!!!!"  
  
WHAM!!!!  
  
"STRONGER!!!!"  
  
Goku's body screamed in protest as he pushed himself harder and longer than ever before. Skin raw and bloody, muscles stretched and sore, mind reeling with fatigue, yet he pushed harder still. Harder, faster, stronger. Each blow rocked Nagareboshi's body, tearing rents in Its formerly undamaged body. Clutching bloodied fists together, Goku swung them around and damn near broke them across the beast's face. Nagareboshi flew back and skidded across the ground, digging a wide trench with Its passing. Crashing through boulders, Its momentum was halted only after hitting a mountain, nearly splitting it in two.  
  
Finally, the physical stress took its toll on Goku's body and he let the Kaiou-Ken fade away, slowly easing down to the ground. For a while it was silent, the Saiyajin alone as he tried to ignore the sensation of his muscles burning so he could actually breathe. A chill wind danced across the battlefield, stirring up a small storm of dust and sand. Even as the grit coated Goku's blood-soaked body, the feel of the breeze was like a refreshing dip in a lake, even that small amount of cold enough to help him fight off the burning.  
  
Confident he wasn't going to collapse, Goku stood straight and peered across to the crater. The surrounding area had the appearance of the moon, pock marks--each no smaller than two meters across and upwards of ten--littered the landscape. Even the mighty mountain range that they had begun fighting amidst was now reduced to little more than a few scattered hills. High above, the midday sun beat down on the rocks, a wavering haze obscuring Goku's vision. He peered through it all, watching the area of Nagareboshi's impact, expecting something, anything.  
  
Unfortunately, he wasn't disappointed.  
  
The turf was blown back by an explosion, and Nagareboshi rose up like a wraith from its grave. Goku stepped back into a stance, anxiously awaiting an inevitable attack, but it didn't come. The shape-shifter stepped out of the rubble and onto the flat terrain, just standing there. Grinning.  
  
""Is that really the best you could do?"" It scoffed, the wounds healing themselves even as It spoke. ""I am truly surprised! You gave it your all and it still wasn't enough. You're right about one thing though,"" It continued, strolling across the ground. ""There is someone stronger."" It stopped Its approach, standing face to face with the stunned Saiyajin. ""It's me.""  
  
Words escaped the aging warrior. There was nothing left to say but, "UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Glaring down at Nagareboshi with all his anger and hate, Goku pushed his power up and up and up. Pushing it harder and harder until he felt he would explode. This new rage was seething, permeating, and all-encompassing. Rage that filled his heart and his mind. Rage that leeked from every pore. Rage that only the greatest Saiyajin warrior could fuel themselves on, draw their power from. Rage that made them the most feared warriors in the universe.  
  
And for a moment, Nagareboshi too was frightened.  
  
That wrath exploded from Goku's body like an atomic bomb, the sheer force of his aura flinging Nagareboshi away like a rag doll. For the second time that day, the sky was consumed with fire and lightning. Vegeta may have touched upon this power, but he did not entirely command it. This was the _true_ power that surpasses a Super Saiyajin. 


	14. Episode 14

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 14 -- Violent Battle of the Super Powers!! I'll Never Forgive You!!  
  
"A bold move, Bishamon. The gates to ultimate power have been opened for this one. But what will you do if he walks down that hall?"  
  
"One thing at a timie, Mikaboshi-san." Bishamon paused to make sure everything was in order, then with the confident swagger of a soldier, he returned to his seat. "I admit, the other one was a mistake. I thought he was ready, but he's too obsessed to take the necessary steps." Bishamon eased his katana out of his waist band and knelt on a simple cushion, his worn but sturdy armor clinking slightly.  
  
Seated nearby, Benzaiten quietly strummed her shamisen. Looking up at Bishamon's remark, "You can't blame yourself for Vegeta's folly, Bishamon-sama. It's not you're fault he is irresponsible with his power."  
  
The man regarded her with a smile, amused at her remark. "Perhaps you are right. Either way, this one is different. I am certain he can be trusted."  
  
As the two conversed, Mikaboshi discreetly slide a small pawn forward with one bejeweled finger. He moved it forward only an inch or so, not enough to alert the others, then gingerly reached out to another insignificant piece, turning it in place a bit to the left. Satisfied for the moment, he took a sip from his dish of sake and cleared his throat. "I do believe it's your move, Susanoh."  
  
The as of yet quiet man raised an eyebrow. He had been aware of Mikaboshi's sly cheating for some time, but opted to say nothing. Susanoh jumped to his feet and ambled over to the playing field. He assumed a thoughtful pose and, chin in hand, stared at his rook, as if pondering his next move. He reached out and plucked the piece up with a deliberate slowness. Hand wavering, the man seemed uneasy, then his chin set determinedly and he placed the piece down.  
  
Flashing his patented 'I appear quite mad, don't I?' grin, Susanoh walked backwards to his stool and flopped down on his butt. "Done," he said simply.  
  
Across the room, Amaterasu frowned at her brother. She was seated at the head of the playing field and regarded her peers with a lofty, snobbish air. Long, lustrous hair flowed down her back and across the floor and she wore many layers of ornate robes that followed suit. All this was a stark contrast to Benzaiten who, by no means unattractive, was nevertheless dressed in a more casual kimono with a short, playful hair style. "Disgraceful," she murmured into her tea. Susanoh just grinned wider.  
  
Bishamon laughed aloud, amused by his elders' exchange. "You two really must learn to get a long. Though, then I might be bereaved of this entertaining relationship you share."  
  
"Really, Bishamon-san. How imprudent of you to speak so," Amaterasu countered acidly.  
  
"I concur," Susanoh piped in. "This is far to much fun! Would you deprive me of my only amusement?"  
  
"Never, my friend, never," Bishamon chuckled. Well, I suppose it's my turn then." Again the samurai rose from his seat and approached the game field.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Goku stood amidst the wind and lightning like some long forgotten god, an aura of brilliant golden fire surrounding him. Nagareboshi staggered back, intimidated by this unexpected change.  
  
The Saiyajin who now stood before It seemed far different than before. Larger now, Goku's muscles had expanded to outrageous proportions, rippling like liquid steel with even the slightest movement. His face was more rigid and angular, the sharp slant of his heavy brow belaying a feral anger. But the most drastic alteration was his hair, which now reached down well past his waist in a mane of blond spikes. All together, the Saiyajin was a striking figure, like an angelic warrior. An angel of death.  
  
The Saiyajin let out a low sigh. His body was screaming at him. This was too much, too fast, it cried. Keep this up and you won't survive to see victory! But Goku's mind was focused on a singular purpose. With that, he began to walk, his slow and stately pace drawing him closer to his confused foe. Each footfall was preceded by searing heat, melting the ground so that his foot met a now crystal smooth surface. The man lifted a hand, balling a fist. His muscles jumped to life and he felt the power come easily, perhaps too much so. Goku knew the time to destroy Nagareboshi was now, utterly and completely. But not just kill It. Goku would make It regret ever coming to Chikyuu. Make it understand what true power was. Make it experience humiliation. Feel pain. And know fear.  
  
Nagareboshi slowly retreated, stepping back twice for Goku's every one. It's mind raced, trying to sort out this new situation. It grimaced, angry at Its hesitation. Why should this be any different? It could still easily win!  
  
With a growl, the beast dashed forward and wound up a punch. Lunging out with the stolen strength of a Super Saiyajin, Nagareboshi struck. Moving faster, Goku caught the blow, but the force sent him sliding back. However, the warrior's legs held steady and he dug deep trenches in the ground over twenty meters long before the momentum stopped.  
  
Nagareboshi looked wide-eyed as Goku released Its fist and calmly stood up out of the trenches. Towering over the creature, the Saiyajin stared down at It, his piercing emerald eyes meeting the creatures tiny red pupils. Bringing his head down, Goku head butted Nagareboshi and It rocked back, dazed. The warrior quickly brought up his fists and pounded them into the sides of Its head, then lifted a leg and kicked out with enough power to knock over a sky-scrapper, connecting square with Nagareboshi's chest. It flew backwards uncontrollably and then hit the ground, tumbling over and over before finally coming to a dusty stop.  
  
Nagareboshi clambered unsteadily to Its feet, coughing on dirt and blood. Forcing itself to Its feet, the shape-shifter looked up to see Goku charging It full tilt. It quickly raised a fist and struck at Goku's face when he was in range, but it seemed to bother the Saiyajin no more than a mosquito bite as he continued forward and barreled into the beast like a freight train. Picking Nagareboshi up, Goku carried it along and pinned It to the flat side of a cliff. However, he wasn't content to just stop there, and he plowed through the rock, drilling Nagareboshi deeper into the earth.  
  
At this new stage of power, Goku didn't have the agility of Nagareboshi's smaller body, but his sheer physical power far outweighed the shape-shifter's. This is something Nagareboshi was learning first hand as it struggled desperately against the Saiyajin's considerable strength. Finally getting a hold, It planted Its hands and feet on the rock around them and halted their progress. Goku's head snapped up in surprise as the beast began gathering Its ki. Energy welling up in Its chest, pulsed up Its neck and the creature opened Its mouth, a purple glow shining forth. Releasing the ki in Goku's face, Nagareboshi blasted away the rock ahead of It and Goku was forced back the way they had come.  
  
Finally feeling It had gained the advantage, Nagareboshi flew at the Saiyajin, who stood still. His head was down as he collected himself, mildly surprised at the odd tactic, but not really hurt. Laughing, Nagareboshi lunged out with another punch aimed at the head, but Goku--without even looking--leaned back to match the creature's horizontal position and kneed It in the gut. Following up with a straight kick, he sent the beast sailing up into the air. Goku reached back and caught himself with one hand, then flipped to his feet. Just as he touched down, the warrior leaped and at the apex of his jump, flared his ki to rocket upwards.  
  
With Its enemy rapidly approaching, Nagareboshi hastily righted itself in the air and fired a ki bolt down. However, Goku easily dodged the clumsy shot with a barrel roll. Coming up to meet his foe, Goku's fist lanced out with an uppercut that snapped Nagareboshi's head back and It spun end over end. An open palm strike caught the creature in the small of the back and It yet again reeled back.  
  
Goku shot forward towards the stunned Nagareboshi, who quickly tried to face the nearing Saiyajin. The shape-shifter just barely deflected one punch and blocked two more with Its arms, each blow rattling It to the bones. Leaning back, Goku's knee aimed for Nagareboshi's gut and It reached down with both hands to hold back the strike, but another head butt bashed in Its nose.  
  
Pretending to be stunned for longer than It was, Nagareboshi waited until Goku was in range and spun, Its heel coming around in a roundhouse aimed at Goku's head. Which he caught. Goku snorted derisively and clamped down on the beast's leg with his other hand and flew down. Swinging the creature around, he slammed It into the ground, smashing a crater and nearly breaking Its leg.  
  
Nagareboshi kicked up into Goku's ribs and he loosened his grip just long enough for the creature to slip through. Putting all Its weight on Its hands, Nagareboshi spun and brought Its leg around for a sweep kick to the knees. Goku flipped onto his back, but as he fell, turned enough to plant his foot firmly across the creature's face. As the warrior landed roughly on his side, his enemy tumbled back and stopped on Its chest.  
  
Nagareboshi strained against pain to climb to Its feet, but Goku was too quick. Rolling over his back, Goku swung his leg down in an axe kick to the shoulder blades and It collapsed again. Slowly rising to one foot, the Saiyajin made sure to keep pressure on the middle of Nagareboshi's back so It stayed pinned to the ground. Leaning on his knee, Goku drove his heel deeper into the beast's spine and was rewarded with a howl of anguish.  
  
"Now do you see!" Goku yelled. "Now do you know what real pain is!? I'm stronger than you, and you can't do a thing about it!!" Each word was accented with a grind of the heel and Nagareboshi's mind spun with agony. "Feel helpless!! Feel like I did when you killed my son!!!" The beast's breath caused a flurry of dust and It hissed, as if trying to speak. "What was that again?" Goku drawled dispassionately. "I didn't quite hear you."  
  
""Ccchhhsssss......ssshhss....y-yousha....m-mer..cy......""  
  
For a moment, Goku was shocked that this horrible monster could dare ask for such a thing. "Mercy!? You want mercy!?!? Did you spare any MERCY FOR GOHAN!!!!!?????"  
  
Fuming, the Saiyajin kicked out and Nagareboshi slide across the rugged, dusty rocks. Again It tried to rise, making it as far as on Its hands and knees as Goku stormed up. Bringing his foot up in a vicious kick to the face, the beast's head snapped to the side with a spray of blood and Goku followed through with the movement, falling to one knee so that he was level with Nagareboshi. His fist arcing back, Goku backhanded the shape-shifter and It was thrown back.  
  
Rolling to Its feet, Nagareboshi rose to attack but Goku was there, a wide clothesline flattening the creature again. The warrior knelt and his fist rammed into the ground where Its head was moments before as It pushed away, rolling on Its hands. The beast spun for a moment, then stopped and flipped to Its feet, rising in time with Its Saiyajin foe.  
  
Nagareboshi laughed, acting more confident than It looked: bruised, bleeding and unsteady. ""Interesting. You're not quite as compassionate as your brat's memories remember you to be,"" It taunted, tapping one finger to a temple.  
  
"I have no compassion for you, bakemono," Goku countered, his voice thick with anger.  
  
""Well, you'll be the one to beg for mercy in the end,"" It said matter-of-factly.  
  
Chuckling, "How do ya figure that? Last I checked, you were losing."  
  
Nagareboshi waved a finger. ""You've had the advantage so far, but now I know how you fight. Fast, crippling blows and lightning quick on the counter attack. It's only a matter of time before I overcome your tactics.""  
  
"Ha! Overcome this!" Using the Shunkan Idou, Goku disappeared and reappeared inches away from Nagareboshi, arm swinging around for a punch. But It quickly ducked and avoided the blow, countering with a punch to the gut. Goku 'oomf'ed in surprise and the creature aimed for Goku's chest, but the Saiyajin brought his clasped hands down and they pounded into Nagareboshi's back, pushing It under and past the warrior.  
  
Goku rolled in the air and landed on his feet just as the beast recovered Its balance as well. They both spun and punched, Goku's right meeting Nagareboshi's left in a resounding crunch. The shape-shifter's arm buckling under the pressure, Goku pressed the attack and caught It in the face with a left hook, finishing with a blow to the face that rocked It back, breaking Its nose further.  
  
Running up, Goku reached out to throttle Nagareboshi, but It raised Its hands just in time and they locked together. The creature strained to hold off the Saiyajin, barely able to match Its enemy's superior strength. Goku continued to advance and Nagareboshi's feet scrapped across the ground. Snarling, the beast lunged forward for a head butt and stopped, realizing It's shorter arms kept It from reaching quite that far. Goku took advantage of his foes bad position and he brought his arms together, squeezing the smaller being and nearly breaking Its arms across Its back.  
  
In Its struggling, Nagareboshi kneed Goku in the crotch, surprising the warrior immensely. Goku howled with pain and released his bear hug on the shape-shifter, but he still gripped on of Nagareboshi's hands and as Goku flung his arms open, he hurled the beast away and into a well placed rock. The Saiyajin fell to his knees, one hand tightly gripping a fistful of his pants.  
  
Nagareboshi quickly got up and rushed Goku, tackling him to the ground. One of his hands caught between them, Goku pushed at the creature and pried It off him, then grabbed Its neck before slamming the beast onto Its back. The Saiyajin stood and leaned on Nagareboshi's neck, winding up for a punch when the shape-shifter wrapped Its legs around his arm and tugged, flipping Goku on his back. Goku rolled to his feet and stood as Nagareboshi jumped up and tackled the warrior. The Saiyajin countered by wrapping his arms around the smaller monster and picked up him. With a little jump, Goku swung Nagareboshi back down into and through the rocky terrain.  
  
Hovering above Nagareboshi's crater, Goku gathered his ki between his hands and aimed down, firing a wave of energy into the ground. The force of the explosion tore up the ground, slabs of rock popping up from like stone seesaws. As the dust cleared, Goku realized at the last second that his target had moved. Spinning just in time to avoid a blow to the head, Goku caught a punch and attempted to block another, but was hit in the collarbone. Stunned, Nagareboshi took the opportunity to fly around his enemy and grabbed a handful of the Saiyajin's golden mane, flinging him away and into the ground.  
  
Placing one hand into the other, Nagareboshi brought them to Its forehead as It gathered ki. Just as Goku pulled himself out of the rubble, It finished charging up, "CHOU MASENKOU!!!" Aiming at the Saiyajin, a beam of bronze-colored energy lanced out and screamed through the air at break-neck speed.  
  
Goku looked up at the approaching beam, eyes narrowing at the sight of his son's technique. Peals of silver lightning rose off his body, his ragged gi billowing in some unseen wind as his hair rose up, glowing a soft golden hue. The warrior raised a single hand and flared his ki, a look of pure determination on his face. A moment later, the beam struck its target.  
  
*BBBOOOOOOOMMMMMBBBB!!!!!!!*  
  
Washing over Goku's body, it seemed he would be completely engulfed by the ki. However, as the initial flash of impact passed, it was apparent that Nagareboshi's victory would not come that easily. Goku was standing his ground and as the area around him melted into a sea of lava, he stood cool and confident. Using his ki as a shield, Goku has easily protected himself. Rushing up into the air, Goku pushed easily through the current of white-hot energy.  
  
Nagareboshi didn't realize how ineffective the attack really was until Goku emerged from the beam just inches from It and grabbed the shape-shifter by the wrists. Twisting them fiercely, Nagareboshi was defenseless as Goku pummeled It repeatedly with his free hand. In the chest! Face! Again and again, the Saiyajin beat his opponent bloody. All the while, Nagareboshi fought desperately and finally kicked free, pushing away from Goku, who made no move to follow.  
  
""Damn it! Damn you!!"" Nagareboshi raged. ""This isn't happening!!!!!!"  
  
"'Fraid so," replied Goku, calmly floating up after It.  
  
Nagareboshi wracked Its brain, trying to figure out some new strategy, some new tactic that Its enemy had not seen and could not defend against. Reaching far back into Its memory, the creature recalled every being it had ever absorbed, every technique It learned doing so. Panic clouded Its thoughts as Goku grew nearer, his calm, icy glare drilling into Nagareboshi's mind. After what seemed like an agonizingly long search, It finally came up with one last fool-proof plan.  
  
""That's as far as you go!"" It laughed, mad with hysteria. ""It's time for me to show you oblivion!"" Nagareboshi sprawled out in the air, roaring as Its aura flared.  
  
Goku stopped as the sky suddenly grew calm, clouds now still with no breeze to push them. Despite the heat of the midday sun, the stagnant air quickly grew cold and Goku shivered involuntarily. A strange buzz filled the warrior's ears and then, the sky shattered. Like glass, the beautiful blue sky broke and disappeared, giving way to a vortex of red and yellow that stretched from horizon to horizon. Goku was suddenly hit with a feeling of intense gravity, being drawn to the center of the vortex, a tear of blackness in the sky gaping open like the maw of a menacing demon.  
  
"Nani!? The Dead Zone!?"  
  
""Aha! So you _do_ know what this is!"" Nagareboshi exclaimed. ""Yet again, you impress me!"" The creature had to shout to be heard over the sound of wind as it rushed into the spatial rift, sucked into the wound in the sky like as if it were a black hole. Laughing like a madman, ""Then surely you know what happens once you're sucked inside!"  
  
Goku frantically looked around, watching as the ground below him was torn apart and drawn into the blackness. Amidst the rising rubble, Goku saw his allies slowly being pulled into the rift, each unconscious and unable to defend themselves. He would never be able to reach them all in time to save them, so he came to a quick decision. Flaring his aura, Goku sped up to the unwitting Nagareboshiand rammed into the shape-shifter with all his might, sending It reeling into the gate to the Dead Zone.  
  
""NNNOOOOOO--"" But It's cry of defeat was cut off as it passed into the blackness, swallowed whole by it. Ever so slowly, the pull of gravity coming from the rift lessened and the landscape fell back into place, the gateway losing power as it shrunk and faded.  
  
Goku breathed heavy, almost not believing it was over. "Y-yatta...I.....I did it....." The Saiyajin relaxed, tilting back his head to let the returning sun's rays bath his face with refreshing warmth. "It's over..."  
  
Suddenly, a steel-gray hand shot out of the slowly closing black hole, stretched out on an impossibly long arm. The small hand clamping down around Goku's neck, he choked on his own surprise more than anything else he was pulled towards the rift.  
  
And into it.  
  
Finally, the rift sealed itself and the sky gradually returned to its natural hue. The three remaining Z Soldiers were still unconscious, blissfully ignorant of the whole fiasco. 


	15. Episode 15

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga  
  
Episode 15 -- The End of the Battle!! Don't Give Up, Goku!!  
  
Bishamon knelt on the ground, chin in hand as he contemplated his next move. Susanoh had taken a gamble and his unexpected move had trapped Bishamon's knight in a corner. It was a lose/lose situation and the elder god's piece wasn't as limited in movement as one might think it was. Many moves could be made, while for Bishamon the only way out was a suicide maneuver. As Susanoh giggled away, the samurai began to sweat, his armor feeling hotter and heavier than before.  
  
The sound of footsteps didn't disturb him and Bishamon didn't even notice until Amatsu Mikaboshi was practically breathing down his neck. "Allow me to be of assistance to you, dear brother." Reaching out, Mikaboshi gingerly plucked the knight from his corner and set it down on top of Susanoh's piece, phasing into it in the way that only the pieces in the game of the gods could.  
  
"Are you mad!?" Bishamon cried, distraught.  
  
The elder god merely patted him on his armored shoulder with a self-satisfied grin. "Trust me." Confused, Bishamon accepted the charity and turned back to the game, trying to find what Mikaboshi had known while it was Susanoh's turn to sweat. As he walked back to his throne, Amatsu passed closely to Benzaiten, her pretty face set in an serious mask. Even though she didn't look at him, her hushed voice was clearly directed his way.  
  
"What was _that_? I know you don't do anything for anyone's benefit but your own, so what do you get out of helping Bishamon-sama? What's in it for you?"  
  
Mikaboshi merely chuckled. "If you watch everything so intently, young one, why can you not see?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Goku's mind reeled as Nagareboshi yanked him past the event horizon and into the Dead Zone. It was like being plunged into a sea of blackness, the sudden absence of light blinding his eyes. The Saiyajin must have lapsed into unconsciousness, for when his eyes opened his thoughts were groggy and jumbled, as if awakening from some deep sleep. What he saw around him boggled the mind.  
  
It took a moment for Goku to sort things out, confronted with the strange floating scenery and immobile--possibly dead--creatures of the Dead Zone. Still being pulled along, buildings and items of all style and make whizzed past him, the parade of ruins interrupted only by tracks of wilderness or the occasional beast that had the misfortune of being trapped in the Dead Zone. Just like Goku.  
  
As if suddenly aware of his situation, Goku struggled to break free of Nagareboshi's hand, fighting to breathe past Its vise grip on his neck. Even then, it seemed like he no longer needed air. Muscles that were once tired and strained no longer ached. All feeling was gone; he could act, but never the less seemed to be dead. It was an eerie sensation, perhaps one that those other creatures had given into and thus seemed comatose.  
  
Finally, Goku arrived at his unwillingly destination; the furious Nagareboshi coming into view as Its immensely outstretched arm wound back into Its shoulder. Goku had to smirk at the sight of It, the beast's face contorted by both anger and repeated beatings. Goku swung at It as he came into range, clipping It's jaw with a quick hook. The shape-shifter's head quickly snapped back unphased, obviously under the same numbing effects that Goku was experiencing.  
  
Nagareboshi retaliated with a vicious cross that Goku too didn't feel. They traded blows for a time, neither seeming to try very hard as they knew it was futile. After a while, Goku just gave up, irrationally amused at the situation. "This is stupid. We're trapped, so what's the point?" he said, interrupted only when the creature broke a hand across his jaw. "Just give it up."  
  
""Shut up! Shut up!! Shut up!!! I'm not trapped! I can't be! I'm the strongest!! I'm the greatest in the universe!!!"" Nagareboshi raged, seeming to be going mad.  
  
"You're also really thick!" Goku shouted, kicked the beast squarely in the chest. As such that the Dead Zone apparently had no centralized gravity, Nagareboshi rocked back and continued on, neither slowing nor gaining momentum until It finally grabbed onto some passing debris. It quickly climbed to Its feet and pounced on Goku, pushing the two of them back the way they had come.  
  
""Silence!! I am invincible!! I can never be defeated!!!" Nagareboshi lunged, grasping Goku's head in a grip of iron. All of a sudden the Saiyajin was wracked with agony, a searing heat that went beyond the physical. He convulsed, each spasm punctuated by a stab of pain greater than the last. It was the feeling of being sucked out of his body, Goku's very soul being siphoned away and into Nagareboshi to make It stronger. Realizing the act was desperate and pointless, Goku merely gave in, letting it happen. ""That's right! Give in! All shall bow to my power!"  
  
"Heh... You don't get it. There's no way out for you. You.....won't even have your 'hated foe' for....company...."  
  
""Shut up!!""  
  
"You'll just have to stay here.....thinking about your defeat...all alone......all alone....."  
  
""Stop it!!!""  
  
"I....avenged my family and friends..... Chikyuu...is finally safe...... I can be satisfied with that..."  
  
""SHUT UP!!!!"  
  
As the transfer continued, Goku felt his mind open up to Nagareboshi. Like the miraculous parting of some great sea, a path had been forged between them and Goku felt himself being drawn down into Nagareboshi's subconscious. Finally, staring at the very core of the creature's being, penetrating past the stolen power and volatile persona, Goku came to realize the true nature of his enemy.  
  
[Stop it! Stop looking at me!]  
  
As he gained more access to the beast's mind, Goku sifted through thoughts and memories, seeing Nagareboshi's past. It was, in actuality, a simple animal. Lacking even sentience, It would have lived a short life of insignificance if not for the power to assimilate other beings. By chance it absorbed a careless young demon, Its unfortunate prey granting It that first glimpse of self-awareness. From there, the beast that would become Nagareboshi was intoxicated with power, selfishly hoarding more and more.  
  
[Go away! Even as my victim, must you still haunt me?]  
  
Goku watched as the images flashed before his eyes, the memories of a greedy soul-stealer as it absorbed more creatures and grew ever stronger. And then there was black. It took the Saiyajin a moment to realize that at that time, Nagareboshi had spent countless years in space, silently drifting, looking for more and better prey. Through the shape-shifter's memories, Goku noticed an enormous ki. It was Saiyajin--no! A Super Saiyajin? It was _the_ Super Saiyajin. The Legendary.  
  
[No! NO!]  
  
Goku saw the face of his ancestor, the gaping maw of the Oozaru twisted with rage. The golden fur was a stark contrast to his brethren, even their great power insignificant next to his own. The group was destroying some nameless planet, rampaging without a second thought. The Legendary was even cutting down his own peers with errant blasts of fiery ki, heedless of their cries of pain. Drunken by the power he possessed, the Legendary continued on without a care, delighting in the death around him.  
  
[Not again! Not again!!!] Nagareboshi fought to speed up the process, trying to block out the thoughts that had driven It mad. But as hard as the creature tried to finish the job, Goku's iron will held It back, forcing the flood of memories to pour out faster than ever. [NOOO! You can't!!] It protested.  
  
[After all this time.... I _will_ know the truth,] Goku replied. [I deserve to know why this all happened.] His hold on his own body stretched to breaking point, the warrior strained to hang on and ignored the feeling of dread to probe further still.  
  
It was the decisive battle for Nagareboshi. The Legendary Super Saiyajin represented the ultimate victory for the power-hungry shape-shifter. If the beast could just absorb him, It would have an unrivaled, unlimited power. But it was not to be. The fight was short and tragic for the poor beast. Even with all the warriors it had assimilated previously, Nagareboshi barely escaped with Its life. It swore revenge, but the hatred so blinded the creature's vision that any and all Saiyajin had become Its target. And when a new Super Saiyajin arose on Namek, it rushed to the scene, but found no trace. Another year of pointless wandering, then there it was! Farther along in the North Galaxy. On a little blue planet third from its sun...  
  
[So, that's it....]  
  
[STOP!!!!]  
  
[Fine, I have the answers I want.] At last, Goku released his hold, letting Nagareboshi fully assimilate him. [So this is it... Goodbye Vegeta, you're finally the strongest. Trunks, goodluck dealing with that stubborn baka, he could use all the help he can get. And Goten; you don't need me anymore, you never did. Sayonara...minna.]  
  
Goku felt his mind wan, fade away as the last of his soul was drawn away and become part of Nagareboshi. Become part of--[OTOUSAAAAN!!!!]  
  
[Na....ni...? G-go......h--Gohan!?!?]  
  
From withing the depths of Nagareboshi's subconscious, the voice of Goku's son rang out again, clearer and stronger than before. [Otousan!! Don't give up!!]  
  
[Shinpai shinai, musuko. I'm coming... I'll be with--]  
  
[Iie! Don't let it happen, tousan! Fight back!] pleaded Gohan's desperate voice. [Chikyuu needs you! Taisan needs you! Onegai shimasu!! Don't give up!!!]  
  
[Listen to him, Son!]  
  
Another voice, strong and confident, but gruff and blunt. [Piccolo!]  
  
[Yeah, it's me. Don't you give up on us, Son. Or I'll come out there and kick your ass!]  
  
[Goku-san, I still want a rematch. We can't do that if we're both inside this bakemono.]  
  
[Goku! C'mon buddy, listen to your heart! Don't give up!]  
  
[Tenshinhan? Kuririn?]  
  
[And a lot of other people are here too, Son. Don't be this yarou's next victim!]  
  
[Tousan, onegai!]  
  
"UWAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!" Suddenly, Goku was back in himself, a stir of power and emotion breaking Nagareboshi's hold. The backlash of the Saiyajin's rage sending the creature into shock and all of Its stolen power seemed to wither away to match the now frail, bestial body. Goku didn't even recognize it as his enemy, but then, he didn't recognize much as the whirlwind of thoughts pushed him to the brink of madness. In an instant, he blacked out. Consciousness fading in an out, there was only the feeling of movement, then.......  
  
~~~~~  
  
"You sure you have to go, tousan?" Goten asked from the door. Light spilled out from the kitchen onto the dew- covered morning grass. The bandages that covered Goten's visibly flesh was spotted with dried blood, but he paid no mind. Even the heavy cast and sling around is arm didn't seem to bother him.  
  
"Hai," Goku replied with a smile. "I've got some things to think 'bout. Just gimme some time and I'll be good as new again."  
  
"Will...will you come back?"  
  
"Ha ha! Of course I will!" Goku laughed tousling his son's hair.  
  
"Are you leaving Goku-san?" Trunks asked. He was drying his hair having just emerged from the shower, careful to avoid the fresh bandage wrapped around the crown of his head. His voice sounded a bit sore, but he seemed to be taking things well.  
  
"Hai, I am. I'll be back. Maybe we can train together."  
  
"I'd like that."  
  
"Hai, same here!" Goten agreed.  
  
"Well, I'm off!" Goku hefted a duffle bag onto his back. Waving over his shoulder, "Jaa!"  
  
"Jaa ne!" the two young men said as one.  
  
Goku only made it a few meters out when he came across Vegeta standing under a tree. "What's up Vegeta? You wanna say bye too?"  
  
"Ha, iie. However, I would like to say, arigatou." In an uncharacteristic gesture of comradery, the Saiyajin held out his hand.  
  
Goku took it, smiling enthusiastically. "Do itashimashite! Um, what for?"  
  
Vegeta frowned, shaking his head. "...Do I have to spell it out for you, retard?" he retorted, though his heart really wasn't into it.  
  
Goku knew what Vegeta meant, and was having a hard time with this. He did care for his son, what father didn't? But was it right to take Goten away from the only father figure he'd ever known? Goku easily came to a decision. "...Well, uh, I guess you're more of a tousan to him than me... Besides, you've done a pretty good job raising them! I doubt I could do any better, ne?"  
  
"Hm, I guess not." Vegeta didn't smile, but his smirk seemed less aggressive, almost friendly. "Jaa ne, Kakarotto."  
  
"Now if I can just get you to call me Goku!"  
  
"Not on your life," Vegeta said over his shoulder. "And don't think this changes anything. I still intend on handing you your death; your insolence to your prince cannot be forgiven. Consider this a brief reprieve," he stated, though he sounded quite amused, even to his own ears. As he walked away, Vegeta raised two fingers in a sort of salute.  
  
"Jaa, Vegeta!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Goku flew for some time, enjoying the fresh air of the country. He hadn't been this way in a while, but he decided it was the best thing to do. Having benefitted from Mr. Popo's judgement already, Goku intended to consult the man again. An enormously tall tower came into view and Goku made sure to wave hello to the staff-wielding cat and fat, aging samurai on the balcony before heading up towards the Tenka bowl. "Popo!" Goku called out.  
  
After a pause, "Goku-san?"  
  
"Hai, it's me!" Goku said as the small round man walked up. The Saiyajin landed on the edge of the platform and clapped a hand on the smaller man's shoulder, but was careful not to use too much force. "I need to ask ya something again."  
  
"Hmm? Of course. What do you need?"  
  
"Where can I go for a while to do some thinking? Maybe train with my new power a bit and not hurt anybody too."  
  
"I have just the place in mind." Popo led the warrior towards the palace and around the back to an inconspicuous looking doorway. "I trust you remember the Seishin to Toki no Heya?"  
  
"Ah...yeah, I do! Boy, I was really young last time I was in there."  
  
"I remember quite well. You didn't handle the place so well, the first time. But you surely could now. It would be the perfect place to get away." Popo held the down open, bright white light pouring out as Goku approached.  
  
"Sankyuu, Popo." As Goku stepped inside, a figure dashed out of shadows and darted into the Seishin just before the door closed. "Oi! Dare--" but his words were cut off.  
  
[Hmm... kawatta...] Popo though. 


	16. Episode 16

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume II -- 24 Hours  
  
Episode 16 -- The Eager Young Girl!! Goku's first student!!  
  
Popo held the down open, bright white light pouring out as Goku approached.  
  
"Sankyuu, Popo." As Goku stepped inside, a figure dashed out of shadows and darted into the Seishin just before the door closed. "Oi! Dare ga?" he asked. It was a teenage girl and she had darted through the door too fast to slow down, bumping into the Saiyajin. She bounced off his broad chest and stumbled against the door just as it closed behind her. Goku leaned down and took her by the hand, helping the girl to her feet.  
  
Once she was back on her feet, the girl bowed deeply. "Gomen nasai," she replied. As she straightened up, Goku could get a good look at her. She really quite attractive, her big brown eyes watching the Saiyajin like a hawk; but a very pretty hawk. A light yellow mini-dress hung off her shapely, athletic body. Brushing away a lock of rich auburn hair, she smiled. "I'm Paresu."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Amatsu Mikaboshi smiled discreetly behind a jeweled hand. Just a few feet away from him, the young goddess Benzaiten regarded him with a look of utter contempt. "How convenient that one of your lesser pawns has been isolated with my Lord's knight," she said acidly.  
  
"Careful planning; that is the key to winning the game, my dear." Mikaboshi sat back in his throne-like seat and watched with amusement as the samurai deity considered his next move. Laughing, "Do not be so suspicious, my brother. Worrying so will only give you gray hairs."  
  
Over on the game field, Bishamon looked past a lock of long silver hair that lay across his armored shoulder at Mikaboshi. The corner of his mouth turned up in a wry smirk as he looked back at the game. Bishamon watched anxiously, awaiting the first attack, the first anything. It was a moment before he closed his eyes and chuckled softly. "Maybe you're right. I must be getting senile in my old age," he joked.  
  
"That quite alright, little brother. I cannot blame you for suspecting me of foul play. I _had_ intended to use her much later. Unfortunately, she is now a nuisance and is a waste." He said this all with such an air of casual confidence that Bishamon thought nothing of it. Even as much as Benzaiten didn't trust the senior god, she didn't know the truth either. Only one other of the deities knew, but he said nothing.  
  
Across the 'room', Susanoh sat in contemplation. He was known to have a dual personality and at the moment, the serious side came through. The soft folds of the god's simple robes fell about his legs and his geta were standing in a projection of the world's northern mountain range. He had always been aware of Amatsu's underhanded dealings and now the two sides of his persona where arguing whether he should reveal his younger brother's secret.  
  
At the moment, discretion seemed apropos.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Bowing again, "Hajimemashite, Goku-sama. It is an honor to finally meet you."  
  
Confused, the man smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Hai, thanks, I guess. Demo, what are you doing here? Why did you follow me? This is place is dangerous."  
  
"Is it?" Paresu asked innocently, looking around. The interior of the Seishin was bland, a small dias with several beds and a large pantry as the only furnishings. Beyond the small platform was a vast wasteland of pure white that stretched to every horizon. "Looks pretty boring to me," she commented. Shaking her head, "Anyway. I'm your biggest fan, Goku-sama. I watched old recordings of your three Budokais, I've read all about you in martial arts magazines, and I even read your rare interview with Shone Jump," she explained, ticking off points on the slender fingers of one hand.  
  
"Ano," Goku said, blinking in surprise. "I didn't think I was so popular."  
  
"You certainly are with me," the girl responded with a wide, genuine smile. The friendly grin and child-like look in his eyes began to make Paresu irrationally nervous. She tried to look away, but her eyes kept being drawn to the Saiyajin's muscular arms and his tall, strong frame. The man before her was much more than the boy she had become familiar with and she could sense her mild crush growing stronger that very moment. Blushing slightly, the teen looked for a distraction and finally noticed that the duffle bag she ran in with had fallen to the floor. She quickly picked it up and carried it across the room. Setting it down on the bed, "I assumed I would get to spend some time with you. I hope you don't mind..."  
  
"That's alright," Goku assured her. He sat down on the bed next to where she placed her duffle bag, smiling. "We're stuck in here for a year anyway."  
  
That stopped the girl short. "A year!?" she demanded shrilly. "We can't leave this"--she gestured at the emptiness over her shoulder--"for twelve months!?"  
  
The Saiyajin looked down, counting on his hand. "Um...three................ten....twelve. Yeah, that's a year. That door won't open for a full year. I thought I'd be alone, sorry you got dragged into this with me," he apologized.  
  
"Oh. No. That's quite all right." The shock in Paresu's voice faded as the prospect of spending so much time with her idol set in. A blush started to creep across Paresu's face and she nearly buried her head in her duffle bag as if searching for something. "Well, ah, I wanted to ask you something," she said, standing straight. Eyes closed, she took a deep breath and hoped the man would misinterpret the rosy color of her cheeks. "Goku-sama, I would like to be your student and learn martial arts." Paresu removed a large bento out of her bag and handed it to Goku. "This is all food I cooked myself and with great effort. Please take it if it will convince you to accept."  
  
As Goku took it from her, she bowed again. Quiet, he opened the lid and blinked. Various sushi and steamed vegetable shared the cramped space with a heaping of boiled white rice. The Saiyajin recognized shrimp tempura in a small stack next to some teriyaki chicken. He could smell the daikon radish mixed in with--was it the or korokke or the butakakuni? There was even an umeboshi sitting aside a small dish of Hatchou miso. The warrior marveled at the variety of foods that the teen had managed to fit into the relatively small box. "Sugoi," Goku breathed, his eyes wide. "This is...for me?"  
  
"Hai, please take it--" but before Paresu could finish, the Saiyajin was already scarfing it down and she sweat- dropped. "Well, I hope you enjoy it," she said with a hesitant smile.  
  
The man picked up his head from the bento just long enough to mumbled "Oishii!" with a full mouth before continuing. "So Pa--mmm, that's good...*ahem* Paresu-chan, tell me 'bout yourself," Goku managed to say before stuffing his face with the fried beef. "Where're ya *gulp* from?"  
  
Paresu sat down next to the Saiyajin. "Well, I'm originally from Poppy Town. It was part of an old trade route between North City and Central City. But my family moved to Central after Nagareboshi attacked."  
  
"You don't hafta worry about him anymore," Goku assured her. "That bakemono's been taken care off."  
  
"Honto ni? Yokatta," Paresu said, smiling.  
  
"But aren't your tousan and kaasan worried about you?"  
  
".....They were killed. That's why we moved.... I still have my niichan, but he works so much that we don't see each other often. He's a police officer and times have been pretty busy for his precinct lately."  
  
".......uh, does he know you left home?"  
  
"Ha ha, I left a note. He understands that sometimes I just need to go out. As long as I come back, he doesn't really mind. Heck, he goes missing more often than I do."  
  
"Okay," Goku conceded. "As long as it's okay with him."  
  
"What about you're family?" Paresu wondered. "Surely your wife and son..." but she trailed off, seeing the hardening of his expression. "I'm sorry, Goku-sama..."  
  
"Iie, it's fine. They were...killed by Nagareboshi too." The Saiyajin's expression softened and he smiled again. "But I have another kid, Goten. He's just like me, I think you'd like him."  
  
"I'm sure I would," she agreed. "So anyway, will you train me?" The man had long since finished consuming everything in the bento and she was eager for an answer. "I understand if you don't want to..."  
  
"I will, I dunno how good I'll be at it though," he admitted.  
  
The girl stood and bowed once more. "I have confidence in you, Goku-sama."  
  
"Yosh'. We can start right now."  
  
With a laugh of glee, Paresu took her duffle bag in hand and pushed Goku off the bed. "Not yet, I have to get ready. No peeking now," she chided while drawing a curtain over that half of the room. As soon as she felt she had some privacy, the girl pulled a hand-made gi out of her bag. It was made to match Goku's, but there were some obvious modifications to the design. Instead of weighted boots, she put on simple black toes shoes. Also, the weighted blue undershirt had to be replaced by a traditional under-wrapping that would keep her...attributes...comfortably in place while training. Sliding into the loose shirt and pants of a rich orange-hue, she was done. Paresu threw aside the curtain and did a little pose. "Tada!" she said...to an empty room.  
  
"Oh, Paresu-chan?" Goku said, his voice calling out to her from beyond the dias. "I'm out here, lemme know when you're ready!"  
  
"Well that was just spoiled," Paresu muttered. Shaking her head, she stepped out to the platform main's area and looked to the white expanse outside. Goku was easily cycling through a series of kata, his form smooth and flawless. Punches and kicks struck out in a whirlwind that almost made the girl dizzy just watching him. She hurried down the to the end of the dias. "All ri--aaaahhh!!"  
  
Just as Paresu jogged off the lowest step, she suddenly lost her balance. As if pulled down by some unseen hand, she took a rather graceless dive and tumbled to the pristine white 'ground'. The girl landed in a heap and was pinned down by what felt like a ton of sand poured onto her back. Paresu strained to get up with all her strength, but no avail. As the air was beginning to be crushed from her lungs, she choked out a weak, "Tasukete!"  
  
Seeing his new pupil in a painful-looking pile, he hurried over and picked her up, placing the girl back onto the dias. She sprawled out, lungs burning as she gasped for breath. "See? I told you this place was dangerous."  
  
"Arigatou...gozaimasu, Goku-sama. Demo...what in the world was that!? It felt like...someone was trying to pull me through...the ground!"  
  
"This isn't a normal place; the gravity is usually a lot more than back home," Goku explained. "It can get incredibly hot or cold real fast, but only when you're out here. There's some kinda spell or somethin' that makes sure this area"--he rapped the dias floor with a knuckle--"is safe."  
  
"Kami, this is insane!"  
  
"Hai, isn't it? I spent a couple weeks in here when I was young, but I couldn't take it. Good thing I was the only guy here, or I woulda been locked in like we are now," Goku chuckled.  
  
Paresu struggled to a sitting position, wincing as her muscles screamed in protest. "I can't go out there again, I'll be crushed. Now I can't train with you!?" she quailed.  
  
"Relax, I'll get you ready to come out here with me eventually. You still up for it?" Paresu said nothing, but she gave him a slow nod. Standing, "Alright, let's start out slow."  
  
~~~~~  
  
[Hmm... kawatta...] Popo though as the door closed. He hoped that whoever it was that followed Goku into the Seishin wouldn't be too much of a bother.  
  
As he rounded the building headed towards the front, he sized up the day. Dawn hadn't been more than an hour ago and the breeze was refreshingly cool. It would still be quite some time before the sun rose enough to make things too hot; the summer proving to be increasingly unpleasent in the afternoon. Given this, Mr. Popo decided he had more than enough time to get some sweeping done. With only himself left to care for the floating palace, there wasn't a lot of serious work to do and the djinn spent most of his time with his crafts. But for the moment, he would happily spend a few hours in the massive courtyard with a broom in hand, admiring the trees and the butterflies and the space ships. [Space ships!?]  
  
Popo watched in awe as a Namek-seijin style space ship soundlessly descended to the Tenkai courtyard. It slowed to landing speed, kicking up a strong--but clean thanks to Popo's sweeping--gust of wind. He hurried over to see what it could be and came to a stop between the 'legs' of the aging ship, waiting for its occupant to make itself known. A minute passed and nothing happened, so the djinn grew anxious. "Piccolo," he said at last.  
  
The bottom hatch jolted, then began to float down to the ground, opening into the ship's interior. Before it descended a foot, someone obviously wasn't paying attention as they stepped through the exit and tumbled to the hatch with a surprised shout. As it finally descended to the courtyard floor, Popo was surprised to see a young Namek-seijin sprawled out on the hatch, a bit dazed. "I wasn't expecting that," he murmured under his breath. The boy appeared quite young, but Popo's experience with the race gave him the impression the alien was in his older than he seemed. Looking up, "How'd you open the hatch? It only responds to commands given in Namek-seigo."  
  
"Kam--ano, Piccolo taught Popo the language," the djinn explained as he helped the young Namek-seijin to his feet.  
  
"Piccolo!?" he echoed, sounding shocked. Quickly, an expression of dawning understanding appeared on his face. "That's right, the Kami of this planet was probably named Piccolo as well." He shook his head, as if suddenly aware Popo was right there. "Sumimasen, my name is Dende." 


	17. Episode 17

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume II -- 24 Hours  
  
Episode 17 -- Is This Excited Girl the Next Z Soldier!? A New Kami for Chikyuu!!  
  
"'Slow' he says!" Paresu thought aloud. A day before, she couldn't have done one push-up to save her life, but now she was doing them vertically, just like her idol. Although, Goku preferred to use only one hand.  
  
Flipping to his feet, Goku brushed off his hands. "I guess that's enough for now. I'm really impressed. I didn't think you'd catch on so fast, or be able to do so many!"  
  
Attempting to do as he had, Paresu ended up on her butt instead. Dusting off her bottom embarrassedly, "So many! I could only do a hundred! You did what, a thousand?"  
  
"Three," he said, casual but not immodest. This went on for nearly three months. Rotating their routine evenly, Goku introduced Paresu to an array of exercises that would boost the girl's strength, speed, and stamina. Goku may not have been an expert personal trainer, but he seemed to have a knack for this sort of thing. He knew exactly what had to be done to get the results the teen expected of him and she was progressing rapidly because of it. In fact, Paresu was finally ready to step out into the Seishin's altered landscape.  
  
The pair had discovered this quite by accident. It happened while Goku was showing her some rudimentary katas to help build agility. The girl wasn't really paying attention to where she was and she actually stepped off the dias, but with no ill effects. The momentum of the exercise was apparently keeping her going and the second she stopped, Paresu almost collapsed.  
  
But the key word is 'almost'.  
  
Thanks to her training, the teen managed to stay on both feet. Paresu looked quite silly hunched over like a gorilla and she still couldn't move more than a few inches, but Goku had to applaud her. That alone was a testament to how strong she was becoming in such a short time. They had decided to take a break then, but when they went out refreshed the next 'day', she had no such difficulties. It still required all her concentration to move around, but her balance was exquisite. The Saiyajin even had to start paying serious attention to his own movements when she somersaulted over his head and--distracted--he crashed to the ground. From that point on, Paresu could finally join her idol in some serious training.  
  
"So what are we doing today?" Paresu asked from bed. The girl had decided that when one is so exhausted as to fall asleep in one's clothes, privacy during slumber was a moot point. She had taken up sleeping in the bed next to Goku's and on a few occasions had even dozed off while sitting with him.  
  
"I was thinking of trying something a little harder," Goku admitted. He was sprawled out on his own bed, several empty food jars on the floor. They had discovered that as long as the jars were returned to their places in the pantry, they would always be full. Neither guessed as to how it worked, instead grateful that it did or they would have starved by now. "I showed you some basic kata, but now you're ready to learn something useful. C'mon," he said, jumping out of bed. He grabbed Paresu, swinging her up over his shoulder where she kicked and screamed playfully. The Saiyajin laughed as he carried her out to their accustomed training area just beyond the dias.  
  
When they arrived, the girl gave him a sharp knee to the chest that didn't actually hurt the man, but it did prompt him to let her go. Using his broad shoulder for leverage, Paresu flipped over his back and spun, landing easily on her feet. "So, old man. What do you think you've got left to show me?" she joked, giving him a wink.  
  
The Saiyajin suddenly erupted in a flurry of attacks all directed at the teen. She stumbled back, trying to block or dodge the way she thought she should and ended up face down on the white, almost linoleum-like ground. The man never hit her once, but still proved his point. Stopping, he leaned over to help the girl to her feet. "That was pathetic," Goku laughed. Noticing her scowl, "Nice try though. Anyway, that's what I'm gonna teach you to do: fight."  
  
"What do I do first?"  
  
"For now, just do what I do." Goku assumed a fighting stance, facing to the side with legs spread slightly. His arms were raised and held out a bit from the body, hands open. "This is a basic fighting stance that I learned while training in the Kame-sen'nin style, but it's also common to other martial arts. Facing to the side gives your opponent a smaller area of your body to hit. Also, having your hands open instead of closed makes it easier to switch from punches to grappling."  
  
Paresu studied his form closely and mimicked the stance. "Like this?"  
  
"Yeah, that's about right," the Saiyajin commented. "But you've got your hands clenched in claws. It may look like that, but try to keep them loose.........that's better. Yosh', now I'll show you how to attack from this stance."  
  
His left arm extended in a slow jab, showing her to keep the arm from locking straight. Next was a right cross, followed by a left hook. The girl mastered the basic punches quickly and he moved on to show her the faster, more direct ones. It took her a while to figure out that the power of a lunge came more from the movement of the body than the punch itself. Moving on the kicks, Goku explained how to get a quick, effective strike without compromising balance. Paresu obviously didn't have much experience with this either, landing on her butt with her first attempt. She learned that the straight blows of the side kick and front kick were usually more dangerous to the attacker in a real fight. The teen quickly got the hang of utilizing quick snap kicks and the spinning roundhouse, which were easier to link with other attacks.  
  
Indeed, it wasn't long before she could cycle through faster, more applicable katas. However, Pares knew full well that the rudimentary techniques Goku was showing her were nothing compared to what he was capable of. Determined to grow even stronger, she convinced him to kept at it for another month. In time, the Saiyajin was shocked to see that she could match him move for move. The agility and grace of her form gave her an advantage the speed of her attacks was almost equal to his own.  
  
"I don't get it," he muttered one day. "How'd you get so strong so fast?"  
  
"I really don't know, Goku-sama. I just want this so much--" Paresu admitted, instantly regretting those choice of words. It may have been a hormone-soaked mind that was making her think it, but what she had just said could have been interpreted as meaning something completely different.  
  
Fortunately, Goku didn't quite catch it. "Maybe. When I was a kid, my skill jumped real fast because I was training for the Budokai's. I guess if you really want to be stronger, then you can pass your own limits."  
  
"H-hai, that's probably it," she agreed shakily, hoping he wouldn't notice.  
  
He didn't. "Ya know, I'd like to have an actually sparring match with you. I wanna see just how much better you got." The Saiyajin fell back into a fighting stance and waved her on. With a confident grin, "Ikuze!"  
  
"Um, okay then." Paresu took deep breath and followed suit, assuming another basic stance he had taught her. She stood with her body slightly facing him, weight balanced on the back leg. Her advancing foot was held lightly on the ground, ready to strike. One fist was raised up in front of her to defend an incoming attack and the other held low and away, prepared to swing in from a variety of angles. With a short kiai, Paresu charged.  
  
Needless to say, it was a short spar. While the girl may have been able to strike as quickly as her teacher, she had neither the sheer speed and power he possessed, nor his vast experience. Paresu fought hard and even landed a few blows, but what did manage to breach Goku's defense lacked the power she was hoping for. In the teen's defense, many of her attacks were blocked instead of simply being avoided, which spoke of the skill she had acquired so quickly. As strong and fast as she had become, Paresu still lacked endurance and after five minutes she was tiring visibly. A roundhouse that was just barely too slow was easily avoided and Goku crouched, sweeping the girl off her feet.  
  
Though not quite the way she hoped he would.  
  
Landing unceremoniously on her bottom, "Itai!" Paresu decided to give in then and there, stretching out on the ground to give her muscles time to relax. Her chest rose and fall with long, deep breaths. Aware of how she must look, the girl pushed herself back to a sitting position. "Okay....you kicked....my butt. I guess....I still have a lot to learn."  
  
Goku reached down and clasped the teen by the hand, pulling her to her feet. She wrapped an arm around the Saiyajin's shoulders and he helped her back onto the dias. As the walked, Paresu's nose perked up and she made a face. "Whew! Is that you or me?"  
  
The man sniffed his shirt, unsure. "I think we're both pretty rank," he finally said with a laugh. "You wait here while I get the bath ready."  
  
The girl eased down onto a bed. "Is there even one here?" she wondered.  
  
"Hai, it's over here," Goku answered. He walked around to the other side of the dias and opened a sliding door that Paresu had never noticed before. It led to a small sauna; one side of the room devoted to a moderately sized bath with indoor plumbing. "The water should be ready by the time you can move around again," he chuckled.  
  
Paresu flopped onto her back and dozed off. When she awoke, there was no sign of the Saiyajin, but there was still steam leaking out from behind the sliding door. She guessed he had taken his own bath and gone back to training, because he was no where in sight.  
  
The teen managed to sit up, still sore but not in any actual pain. She slowly peeled off her gi, letting it drop to the floor with a dull thud. Not long ago she decided to start using weighted clothes, though hers were considerably lighter than her sensei's. Untying the belt, her billowy pants slid down next to the shirt and she stepped out of her new pair of boots. As she unwound the under-wrappings, Paresu contemplated her relationship with her idol.  
  
The Saiyajin was handsome, no doubt about that. There was a boyish quality about his battle-scarred face that was very cute, his easy grin and friendly eyes were comforting. The warmth in his heart seemed big enough for everyone in the world, but she noticed smaller things, barely noticeable to anyone who hadn't spent so much time alone with him. The way he stood, slouching just a bit. Or the way he sat, as if thankful for a reprieve from his weariness. He was lonely and Paresu desperately wanted it to be otherwise. Not only did she look up to him and want to be like him, but there was something more there now. This became more apparent to her as she removed her underwear.  
  
Quickly grabbing a cotton terry robe off of her bed, she quickly skipped across the open area of the building. Half afraid Goku would see her--and half afraid he wouldn't--she decided to tempt fate. But when she crossed to the other side, she didn't see the Saiyajin anywhere. Of course, he _could_ fly. Giggling, the girl didn't bother to look up. She made it to the sliding door and opened it, hastily stepping inside. Seeing a couple pegs on the wall, she hung her robe. Goku crossed behind her and he grabbed a towel off another peg to dry his wild hair. Paresu froze as he walked by.  
  
"Good to see you feelin' better, Paresu-chan. It's all yours," he announced innocently, blissfully ignorant that they were both quite naked.  
  
Frozen by surprise, she didn't move an inch until after he closed the door behind him. Paresu breathed a heavy sigh of relief. That was a very...awkward situation. Still feeling very self-conscious, Paresu stepped into the bath and sunk down up to her chin. Content to just soak, she reflected on the incident for a moment. Under her breath, "Kuso..."  
  
~~~~~  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Dende-san," Popo replied bowing. "I am Mr. Popo. Popo takes care of this compound." After Dende closed the hatch to his ship, he followed the djinn across the courtyard towards the palace's main building. "May I ask why you are here?" he asked.  
  
"Well you see," the Namek-seijin began, "My people on our new planet have been monitoring the events here on Chikyuu. We noticed that there was a disturbance here by some unknown evil force."  
  
"Indeed," Popo confirmed, nodding his head. "A bizarre alien beast we called Nagareboshi. It quite nearly destroyed this planet searching for Son-san and the others. But just recently, he and the remaining warriors defeated it."  
  
"As we are aware. As soon as we could no longer sense the creature's presence, I asked the elder to allow me to come here. We watched as the Z Senshi were killed by this 'Nagareboshi' one by one, so I was not allowed to come. I was forced to stand by and do nothing, even as Piccolo too was beaten. But now that it is safe, I would like to help you and the senshi fix this world."  
  
Popo stopped and turned to face the young man. He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Y-you mean...?"  
  
"Yes, I would like to fill the role as this planet's guardian. Many others of my people have had the same notion and have set out to watch over other planets, protecting their inhabitants. Now I would like to do the same for Chikyuu." Dende bowed his head, solemn. "I am no fighter and I would be useless against some new foe. But the heroes of this planet saved my race and I wish to repay them by helping any way I can."  
  
"Th-then... You will stay? And become the new Kami?" the round man asked, his voice quavering.  
  
Bowing, "If you accept." The short, dark man cried out with joy and gave the startled Namek-seijin a hug. Weeping with joy, he danced around the young man. "Ah, I guess I'll take that as a 'yes'?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
"You're going to deplete the race if you keep this up, my dear."  
  
"Quiet! You know as well as I that they breed asexually. I see no danger," Amaterasu scoffed. After making her move, she returned to brushing her luxurious midnight-hued tresses. She had long been scattering her own forces in a seemingly futile attempt to bring much needed balance to the universe. Mikaboshi obviously didn't see it that way, but the Sun Goddess knew he was just upset that she was keeping tabs on him.  
  
"Let her do what she wants. She's a big girl now," Susanoh drawled, giving his sister a lopsided grin. She spared him a venomous sneer and ignored the god as he made a beeline for the playing field. The man stopped and bent over to better examine his potential moves. After a pause, he turned Bishamon's knight and Amatsu's pawn so they were facing each other.  
  
"Just...why did you do that?" the samurai deity queried. As confused as he was, Susanoh ignored him and strolled away while whistling innocently. The dark god looked past the other two and considered his choices. His elder brother had changed the game now, moving his pawn closer to the enemy. Seeing something that Bishamon did not, Mikaboshi gladly let the act slide and formulated a new plan. However, there was a very minor detail that the Lord of Darkness was overlooking. Susanoh peered over his shoulder at Mikaboshi, giving a small snort. 


	18. Episode 18

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume II -- 24 Hours  
  
Episode 18 -- Learning How to Control Her Ki!! The Sorrowful Argument!!  
  
The next 'day', Paresu had all but forgotten the encounter and was quietly eating breakfast when Goku walked up to her. "Wanna learn how to fly?" he offered abruptly.  
  
The girl's eyes widened with surprise and delight, dropping the apple she had been munching on. She danced around her sensei gaily, then latched onto his arm. "Are you serious!? More than anything in the world!"  
  
"Then let's do it," he smiled, leading her outide. "First you hafta understand what it really is. Instead of using wings, you push away from the ground with your ki."  
  
"How do I control my ki? I don't even know what that is!"  
  
"Oh, ah... Lemme try to explain ki." After looking thoughtful for a second, "You know when you relax, you can sorta feel your heartbeat? It's like that. Try to relax and feel the flow of ki in your body. When you can do that, think about pushing down, but not with yourself."  
  
"Okay, here goes."  
  
Paresu sat lotus style, letting her body relax. Breathing measured, she cleared her mind, focusing on nothing. Minutes passed before she felt even the slightest tingling of energy. More minutes still and Paresu managed to focus on those energies without losing her concentration. Sitting next to her, Goku watched patiently as his student began to float ever so slightly. Paresu suddenly noticed the lack of support beneath her and promptly lost her focus, dropping with a thud to the hard surface below.  
  
"Gomen nasai, Goku-sama. I can't do it." Paresu's shoulders slumped.  
  
Goku wrapped an arm around her narrow shoulders, giving her an encouraging shake. "Don't give up! C'mon, how 'bout this?"  
  
"How about what?" Paresu asked, looking up. Suddenly they were zooming up into the air and Paresu began to scream her head off. They stopped about the same time the girl ran out of breath and Goku gave her a mildly reproving glance. "Ah ha, gomen," Paresu said in a small, _very_ embarrassed voice.  
  
"I'm not gonna let you fall," Goku told her, smiling. He had both his arms wrapped around her waist at this point and was easily supporting her. To hide the sudden blush creeping across her cheeks, Paresu craned her neck, looking down at the ground. She was hit with a feeling of vertigo and glomped onto Goku again, forgetting her embarrassment. After a pause, "_Now_ I'm gonna let you fall."  
  
Paresu's head snapped up just as he relaxed his grip and she was staring up into his broad smile as she went into a free fall. Finally, her mind kicked into gear, though a bit too late. "Are you crazy!?" Paresu dropped like a rock and the ground came rushing up. Hastily concentrating, she pushed away from the ground and shot back up to her sensei, though not nearly as fast. "What in _hell_ is wrong with you!?!? I could have been killed!!"  
  
"Iie, I woulda caught you if you couldn't do it." Goku shrugged and looked down. "Don't forget to concentrate."  
  
"Nani!?" She looked around frantically, half expecting herself to fall again. Realizing she was tricked, she glared at her idol. "That wasn't funny!" she declared.  
  
"But I got my point across. You're not thinking about it, are you?"  
  
"Uh no, I'm not!" She looked up at him astonished.  
  
"That's what I mean. It's actually kinda easy to pick up. With the right training, anyone could--"  
  
"Yattaaaaaa!" she interrupted. "This is amazing! I feel as free as a bird! Domo arigato gozaimasu, Goku-sama!" Paresu twirled around her mentor for a second, feeling the wind wrap around her form with a sense of limitless joy.  
  
Amused, Goku was watching her when quite unexpectedly, she literally flew into his's arms and kissed him on the cheek. Blushing slightly, "Ah, d-do itashimashite, Paresu-chan..."  
  
Paresu zipped through the air excitedly for several minutes before finally conceding to land with her sensei. Goku tapped her on the shoulder, breaking her revere. "How 'bout a race?" Goku's grin was replaced with a competitive smirk and he took off in an instant, the backwash of air knocking Paresu aside. Goku's words called back to her, fading in the wind. "C'mooooooonnnn........"  
  
Paresu jumped to her feet and shot off after him, accepting the challenge.  
  
The rest of the day was a blur--literally--as the two chased each other across the uniform landscape, though neither seemed to mind at all. When the younger was finally too tired to continue, they called it a day, Goku happily carrying his exhausted student back to the shelter. By the time they made it, Paresu was sound asleep in her idol's arms and Goku carried her to her bed. Ever so gently, the Saiyajin set her down and pulled the covers up to her chin. He just sat there for a minute, watching the beautiful young woman in her slumber with a happy, if not slightly sorrowful expression. He brushed back a lock of chocolate hair from her eyes and stood.  
  
[This is what we coulda had Goten. When I get back, I'll make it up to you.] Goku walked out the door and slowly closed it behind him with one last glimpse at the sleeping angel. [It's a promise]  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Ohayo gozaimasu, Goku-sensei! What do you want to do next?" Paresu asked the next day. She had found her sensei outside practicing katas and tossed him one of the apples she snagged from the kitchen.  
  
Polishing off the fruit in a matter of seconds, Goku brushed off his gi and regarded her warmly. "Today, I'll teach you how to use your ki for offense. Remember, this is to protect yourself," Goku said, growing serious. "I don't want you pickin' fights."  
  
"Of _course_!" Paresu responded, slightly offended that Goku might even think such a thing, but not enough so to complain. "I'd never use what your teaching me to hurt people. One of the reasons I like you so much is because you watch out for people like me." She gave him a wink and waggled her finger in his face. "I think that's kinda cute."  
  
Goku smiled for a moment before continuing with the lesson. "Focus your ki again, but this time, direct it toward your hand and hold it in." As Goku spoke, Paresu followed his every word, holding one hand forward to help guide her thoughts. "Now take some of your ki and squash it into the ball, got it?" Paresu nodded and giggled a bit, finding her mentor's instruction inadvertently funny.  
  
The teen focused her ki, slowly building the ball of energy in her mind. With a deep breath, she opened her fist and the orb sprang out. Unfortunately, the ball was small and slow, wavering pitifully before dispersing entirely. "Ano, what happened?"  
  
"You need to concentrate more. Try to define its shape, size, and speed. Also, the more ki you pour into the ball, the stronger it will be."  
  
Paresu tried harder and the next one was faster and larger. It moved off fairly quickly, but exploded in a small blast on its own only a few meters away. "Demo..."  
  
"Don't let it get you down. This is harder than flying, but you'll get it. Keep trying!"  
  
Paresu fired again and again, each progressive ki ball getting bigger, faster, and stronger. An hour or so later, she suddenly collapsed in a heap, exhausted. "What... happened...?"  
  
"Using ki is like actual physical labor. You have to work to get stronger. The more you train, the longer and harder you can push yourself. Try not to tire yourself out though. You have to know your limitations."  
  
"You... could've said that... earlier..."  
  
"Haha, gomen!" he laughed. "This _is_ my first time as a sensei, ne? Let's take a break now. We'll continue when you're feeling better." After a few hours, a short nap, and another quick meal, the two returned outside. Goku nodded for the girl to try again and he was pleasantly surprised when Paresu shot off a ki bolt without hesitation. It shot into the distance and blasted a crater into the ground. "See? Practice and some rest was all you needed."  
  
"Hai, I feel much better. Will you teach me how to manipulate the ki ball?"  
  
"You mean like Kamehamehas and stuff? That's just a lot of stuff you learn on your own."  
  
"So how do I do it? Just change the shape of my ki?"  
  
"Sorta," Goku shrugged. He shook his head and laughed. "I guess I'm not very good at this, huh?"  
  
"Not at all!" Paresu argued. "You're the best sensei I've ever had." [You're also the _first_ sensei I've ever had, but then you don't need to know _that_, do you?] she added to herself.  
  
The rest of the day passed as quickly as those before, Paresu engrossed in the lessons Goku enjoyed giving. Paresu's skill had increased considerably by the end of the day and she was pulling off more and more advanced techniques. However, one thing had been bugging her the entire day.  
  
"Um, do I _really_ have to say the name like that when I do it?"  
  
Goku thought for a moment and shook his head no. "Not really, but I've found it helps me focus during battle. In the middle of a fight, you won't always have the chance to concentrate real hard."  
  
"Okay, makes sense."  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Shimatta! Gomen, Goku-sama!" Paresu ran over to her sensei as the Saiyajin clutched his face in agony.  
  
"You... picked up on the Taiyo-ken... pretty fast, huh?" Goku groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Just, warn me next time, 'kay?"  
  
"Y-you sure you're okay?" Paresu asked again, a bit frantic.  
  
"Yosh', yosh'. I been hit with worse." Inwardly, Goku groaned again. [Not by _much_ worse...]  
  
~~~~~  
  
They trained for several months and Paresu's ki grew stronger. She was happy to find that after a while, she could really cause some damage. Branching out, she soon developed a couple attacks of her own and could actually surprise her sensei with them while they sparred.  
  
"Kamehameha!!!" Paresu's beam shot forward, flashing across the sky directly for Goku. Smacking it away, the Saiyajin fired is own, but Paresu dodged it. He swung it back around and hit her in the back, making sure it was only strong enough to knock her out of the air. Paresu fell to the ground and landed with a thump. "Itai..."  
  
The man shot down to meet her, but she was prepared. Waiting to the last second, Paresu focused her ki. "Rasenjo Katta!!!" Wind whipped up around her and Goku barely jumped away in time. He was still in one piece, though his gi had seen better days. Several slashes had cut through and the front was in ribbons.  
  
"Oi, not bad! You almost got me with that!"  
  
"Arigatou, this is harder than it looks," she laughed. Preparing to attack again, she took a short step forwards and stumbled, almost falling on her face. Looking down, she noticed a lace of one boot was loose. Bending over at the waist, she started to fix it, absent-mindedly thinking that her idol had a perfect view of her rear. That is, he would if her were looking.  
  
And that brought her up short. What was she just thinking? Was she really making a conscious effort to flirt with him? When Paresu stood again, she turned away from the Saiyajin. The teen admitted to having some very strong emotions for the warrior, but this was something completely different. She had never out-right made a pass at him and this was uncomfortably close to doing just that. [What _am_ I doing...? He's married... sort of...]  
  
"Paresu-chan? Doshitano?" Goku asked, concerned by her sudden withdrawl. Tears were running down her cheeks now, but she stood completely still. "Why are you crying?" He walked over to her, about to place a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Suddenly, Paresu felt an irrational anger. [Why doesn't he understand!? Why!?] "Get away from me!!" Paresu screamed, pushing away. "You just don't understand!!"  
  
"Understand what?" Goku asked bewildered.  
  
"Just...go away!!!" She ran away from him, refusing to listen the little voice in her head begging her to stay and let him know how she feels. Tripping, he fell to her knees weeping uncontrollably.  
  
"Paresu-chan..." Goku was very confused. What didn't he understand? "Paresu-chan," he murmured, crouching next to her. "Tell me what's wrong..."  
  
Before she knew what she was doing, Paresu jumped up and flew away at top speed. Goku sighed and restrained himself from following her. [I hope she'll be okay...]  
  
~~~~~  
  
[What am I _doing_? _Why_ am I doing this?] Paresu stopped in the air. Slowly, she landed, sitting on the barren, featureless immensity of the Seishin proper. The plain was devoid of life, completely flat for she and Goku never trained this far from the compound. [Why do I feel like this?] Paresu got up and walked along for a bit, not moving father away nor moving closer to her sensei's position so far off. The wind whipped her brown hair about her face, the only evidence of anything at all in this place. [I _do_ lo... Then why did I run away? I-I need to face him... Tell him how I feel...that I...love him...]  
  
Paresu turned back suddenly, running back towards the house. She was too distraught to fly and she kept tripping on absolutely nothing at all. Tears were flowing freely down her smooth skin, flying out in the air as she ran. She fell for what felt to be the hundredth time, but this time, she didn't hit the ground. Paresu was vaguely aware of arms around her and being lifted gently off the ground. Goku held her close to his chest, carrying her crying form as he walked. She was so vulnerable and he felt an enormous desire to protect her. "Shhh... just relax. It'll be okay," he said quietly, comfortingly.  
  
Paresu looked up into his face, barely able to discern his angular features from behind the layer of tears. "Ano, Goku- sama... I... I --"  
  
"Shhh, don't speak."  
  
"Demo... I have to tell you... I... I..."  
  
"It's okay. I know." Somehow feeling better, Paresu leaned back into his embrace and fell asleep.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Paresu awoke still tired both physically and emotionally. [I'm back,] she thought blandly. She stumbled out of bed wearing some blue pajamas she only barely remembered getting into. Seated at the edge of the dias, Goku was quietly watching the expanse beyond.  
  
Noticing her arrival, the Saiyajin put on a warm smile and greeted her cordially. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Paresu-chan. Ready to train today?"  
  
"Um, Goku-sama... About the other day..."  
  
Goku's face turned grave. He was very serious in his response, but his voice never left that kind inflection he so often used. "I understand, Paresu-chan. If you don't want to talk about it, don't force yourself. This doesn't change anything, does it?"  
  
"Mmm... Iie, I guess not. Arigato, Goku-sama." Paresu felt monumentally better. Something about the Saiyajin had a calming affect on her, even when they sparred. It was very comforting being around him. Maybe that's why she fell in love with him, he was so kind.  
  
"I hope you're ready today, 'caus I've got something special to show you."  
  
"All right, just let me get changed." Paresu ran back to her bed and found her gi, quickly putting it on. She dashed back outside, but Goku wasn't there. Confused, she stopped short and looked around. Suddenly, she felt his presence behind her and she whirled to face an attack, but none came. "Why'd you do that?"  
  
"Just showing you what I'll teach you today," he responded innocently.  
  
It took her a second to process that. "You mean...Shunkan Idou!?"  
  
Goku just smiled.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Goku stood at the end of the Tenkai, enjoying the breeze as it streamed through his hair. The world below looked so clean from up here; it was hard to see just how close it had come to destruction so many times. The Saiyajin smiled, glad that things were finally looking up. He put his hands on his hips and turned to young Namek-seijin next to him. "So, Dende, you're really gonna be the new Kami?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, that's right. There's so much that needs to be done, I hope I'm up to the challenge. But, how have you been lately, Goku-san? I know what happened here, I'm sorry about your friends and fam--" but he stopped when he saw the man's smile and understood it was all right. "I know how the burdens of our choices can weigh so heavily, but we must remain strong." Emphasizing his point, Dende hefted the thick wooden staff Popo had passed on to him from the previous Kami.  
  
Reflexively, Goku's hand rose to touch the scar that split his face. He had almost forgotten it was there, but the sudden reminder didn't hurt like he thought it might. "Yeah, but stuff like that goes with the territory, ne?" he joked.  
  
"Indeed it does. It's been good seeing you, I hope we can talk again someday. But I have other matters to which I must attend. If you'll excuse me," the Namek-seijin bowed, then turned to walk away.  
  
"Jaa ne!" Goku called to the yong man's back. As the green man left, Paresu stepped up next to the Saiyajin. "Where were you?" he asked.  
  
"I had to apologize to Popo-san for sneaking in," she explained sheepishly. "I think he was surprised as I was that I actually made it up here."  
  
"Just how did you make it up here?" Goku asked.  
  
Paresu dug her toe into the tile, and mumbled something under her breath. Goku got the idea and let it drop. They stood quietly for a while, just watching the clouds float by. "So what are you going to do now?"  
  
"Go home, rebuild. Train my son like I been meaning to." With a laugh, "And hope this doesn't start all over again."  
  
"Will ever see you again?" the girl asked, concerned that she was going to lose him.  
  
The man gave her his patented grin. "That's what Shunkan Idou is for." The teen brightened up and waved as he leapt off the Tenkai bowl, slowly flying away. "Jaa, Paresu-chan!"  
  
"Jaa ne, Goku-sama!' she called after him. She stood there and watched her idol disappear into the distance. Deciding she would best be on her way as well, she too stepped over the edge flew home. [Just wait until you see this, niichan.] 


	19. Episode 19

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume III -- Revelations  
  
Episode 19 -- Goten's Big Surprise!! The Chance Encounter On Purpose!!  
  
Goten walked wearily into the bedroom he shared with Trunks, dropping down onto his pillow-covered futon. He instantly regretted to action, wincing as he held a hand over his bandaged side. After the pain subsided, he carefully folded his hands behind his head and let his eyes wander about the room.  
  
Trunks lay on his bed on the other side of the small but comfortable room. He was flipping through one of his many mangas, reading by the light of a flourescent lamp attached to the wall. Besides Trunks' lamp, the only light came from outside. The orange-red light of the setting sun spilled in through the window, bathing the room in a ruddy glow. Both young men were bandaged in places, reminders of their battle with Nagareboshi not a week before. The regen tank had been damaged during their training, so a quick heal was out of the question.  
  
Goten smoothed out the small band-aid over his left eyebrow. The half-Saiyajin shifted restlessly and sat up, looking over the bookcase next to him. Vegeta had neglected their education beyond combat and some instruction in Saiyago, but having learned from his best friend, Goten was more or less literate. He pulled out a magazine and flipped through it, before tossing the periodical on the floor in frustration.  
  
He tried to relax, but just couldn't seem to get comfortable. Goten got up and did some quick stretches, then massaged his elbow to work out a kink. He murmured to himself unintelligibly.  
  
"It's only been two days," Trunks stated. Without looking up, he reached out and plucked a can of soda off of his night stand, taking it behind the pages for a sip.  
  
"Nn? What do you mean?"  
  
"Goku-san left only a couple of days ago. You can't expect him to come back so soon," he explained.  
  
"I know, I know," Goten replied, waving his hand. "I can't help being impatient." He closed the blinds and flicked on the light by his bed. Sitting down, he swung his feet up onto the small table.  
  
"Get your feet off the table," Trunks ordered laconically. Goten quickly put his feet down. The older of the two closed the manga and stacked it neatly with a few others. "How's your arm?"  
  
"Not bad, it's still kinda stings though." Goten adjusted the cast on his left arm so it was more comfortable. "Nnnn! It itches!" He began to scratch furious at the cast as if to abate the annoying itch.  
  
"Dame da. I'll see what I can do tomorrow." He finished off his soda before tossing the can into a wastebasket and slipped under the covers of his bed. "Oyasumi nasai."  
  
"Oyasumi, Trunks-kun." Goten jumped into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. He turned off the light, paused, and turned it back on. "Trunks-kun?"  
  
After a pause, "...Nani?"  
  
"Something's nagging me."  
  
"What would that be?" Trunks propped himself up on one elbow and turned on his light. He and Goten had been best friends all their lives, so--not surprisingly--he was genuinely concerned.  
  
"Lately, I've noticed something...odd." Goten paused to gather his thoughts. "I keep feeling some sort of...presence."  
  
"How so? Does it feel threatening?"  
  
"Not really, just kinda foreign. It seems like it gets closer every time too."  
  
Trunks looked methodical for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I've been getting some peculiar feelings lately as well." He shrugged. "It's probably nothing, but I'll ask Papa about it tomorrow. Get some sleep Goten-kun."  
  
"Hai, Oyasumi nasai Trunks-kun."  
  
"Oyasumi nasai."  
  
Goten turned off his light and rolled to face the wall. His little chat with Trunks seemed to put his mind at ease and Goten felt much better about it. As always, Goten thanked Kami for having such a good friend before nodding off.  
  
Trunks waited until he heard Goten's light snoring and leaned back, turning off his own light so the room was left in darkness. He always was the dominant one and Trunks felt it was his responsibility to help his friend through this particularly difficult time. Goten was being torn between two families and Trunks didn't want his best friend to feel alone. With a sigh, Trunks closed his eyes and dozed off.  
  
In the hallway, Vegeta stood just outside the door. He had heard their brief exchange and felt a little wary. The Saiyajin too had sensed a strange presence, always just on the edge of his perception. Vegeta walked off towards the high-grav gym for some light training. As he walked, he again sensed a brief flicker of that peculiar awareness. Vegeta shuddered involuntarily. [I don't think I'm going like this...]  
  
~~~~~  
  
Goten flipped his Capsule Corp hat onto his head and shrugged on a matching grey jacket. There was a little skip to his walk as he went outside and he sorely resisted the urge to click his heels. Strolling somewhat out of character, he left the compound at a brisk pace, humming a tune he couldn't get out of his head (if you must know, it's Makafushigi Adventure).  
  
"Where are you going?" asked a rough voice. Vegeta floated down slowly to stand not a meter from Goten. His arms were crossed and his face was set in that oh-so-familiar scowl--though that wasn't anything new.  
  
Unruffled, Goten smiled. "Just thought I'd look around is all. I've been cooped up in the high-grav gym for too long."  
  
Vegeta arched an eyebrow suspiciously. "Why don't you just fly?"  
  
"C'mon ojisan! It's a nice day, you gotta stop and smell the roses every now and then, ne?"  
  
Vegeta hung his head, holding the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. "Why me? ...You could be more serious about your training you know."  
  
Goten gave a short laugh and scratched the back of his head. "I've been serious about my training for what, a decade? Nagareboshi's dead, I think we deserve some down time. I'll see you this evening, hai?"  
  
Vegeta gave his young charge a blank stare. "Don'na demo. Have fun," he said, his voice sarcastic to the point of excessive. He rolled his eyes skyward and took off, heading back towards Capsule Corp.  
  
"Spoilsport." Goten shrugged and resumed his walk. The area in the immediate vicinity of Capsule Corp wasn't exactly pleasant, having still suffered from Nagareboshi's careless search, but Goten was happy to see an increase in new construction. [These humans are tough people. Vegeta-san doesn't give them enough credit,] Goten thought as he watched some kids play in a brand new park. [The aren't as strong as us, but they're survivors, that's for sure.]  
  
The going became considerably nicer as he entered the rebuilt west district. It was a residential/business kind of area similar to what might be seen in smaller communities. People chatted happily about weather and current events, glad to finally get on with their lives. Shop keepers haggled desperately with stubborn old men. Mothers dragged reluctant children on errands. All in all, things were returning to normal.  
  
As he entered the community square, Goten noticed a small group of girls off to one side. He really couldn't care less what they were talking about until he heard something that made his blood boil. They snuck peeks at him, whispered his name perhaps a bit too loud, and giggled excitedly. Goten couldn't help blushing at the thought that he was the center of attention.  
  
Goten turned away to hide his reddening face as if window browsing. He really didn't notice what store he was in front of, but then, that was the _last_ thing on his mind. He tried mind his own business and was starting to relax when he heard footsteps behind him, followed by another titter of poorly concealed laughter.  
  
Finally, the inevitable came. "You're Son Goten, honto?" asked a distinctly feminine voice.  
  
Goten turned to face the girl and was struck by her beauty. Now, being a hermit of sorts, Goten was no one to judge a person's appearance, but he was sure the girl in front of him was more then qualified for the description. Goten fought desperately to keep his eyes on her face as he replied, "H-hai, that's me. I'm Goten."  
  
The girl shrieked giddily and her friends rushed up to gather around him. They swept him away with requests for autographs and many took some quick pictures. Goten could've sworn one of them had grabbed his rear.  
  
"Oi, oi! O-one at a time!" [This isn't getting me anywhere!] Goten shifted his position and quickly pushed off, lifting away from the ground, effectively disengaging himself from the girls. He landed to applause and blushed again as the girls looked on with adoration. Apparently, news spread quickly that he was involved in Nagareboshi's demise (some even thought Goten did it himself) and also apparently, the people were very grateful. VERY grateful.  
  
Goten raised his hands to ward off the oncoming crowd of semi-worshipers. [Why didn't I listen to Vegeta-san?]  
  
~~~~~  
  
Paresu landed in the west district. Under normal conditions, she easily could have used the Shunkan Idou to find Goten, but her target was adept at concealing his ki, which rendered the technique useless. She walked around for a bit, admiring the new construction. It was refreshing to see the people out and about instead of cowering in corners, afraid that Nagareboshi might return.  
  
[Okay, let's get started!] Paresu looked around for a helpful individual. "Um, excuse me!" she called out to a elderly man sitting on a bench. "Konnichi wa, ojiisan. Might you be able to tell me where Capsule Corporation is?"  
  
The old man looked up from his book, his aging features wrinkled in surprise. "Capsule Corp, eh? Why sure I can tell ya. It's jus' a ways down the block there," he said, pointing to the wide street behind him. "Follow the road an' you'll get there jus' fine."  
  
"Domo arigato," she said with a bow.  
  
The man regarded her with an amused twinkle in his eye. "You looking for that big hero fella?"  
  
"Who do you mean?" Paresu asked confused.  
  
"Haven't you been keepin' up with current events, lass? Why, Son Goten lives down that way. He's the son of Son Goku, strongest fighter on the planet. That Goten fella killed the space monster don'tcha know."  
  
"Honto ni?" Paresu responded, amused. "As a matter of fact, that's who I'm looking for."  
  
"Well, you'd best hurry, lass. There're many girls lookin' for a brave fella like that. Don't wanna miss your chance now, do ya? Go on, gonbatte."  
  
"Arigato, ojiisan. Have a nice day." Paresu waved over her back as she vaulted over the bench and took off down the street. [Woohoo! Here I come!]  
  
Paresu ran for a couple of minutes until she noticed the faint ki of Buku Jyutsu just around the corner. She walked a bit further and a rather amusing spectacle came into sight. There was a small crowd of people hollering excitedly at someone in the middle. Paresu couldn't see who had just used their ki, so she leaned against a street light and waited.  
  
It was several minutes before the crowd dispersed, smaller groups of people talking in hysterical whispers as they walked away. Finally, Paresu spotted him. The spitting image of her idol, Goten leaned against the wall of a store front gasping for breath. His midnight black hair was just as unruly as his father's but was shorted and tumbled down the back of his neck in a cascade of spikes. The physical similarities were so exact that Paresu gathered that if he and Goku were to stand next to each other, it would be difficult to tell them apart. Well. Except that Goku was taller. [And now the moment of truth...]  
  
~~~~~  
  
Goten swept a hand through his pitch black locks and straightened, having finally managed to calm the racing of his heart. Goten had no experience with the opposite gender and was irrationally afraid of them. That might not be the right word, but it definitely described how he was feeling in the middle of all those girls.  
  
It was only until she was right next to him that Goten noticed another girl had approached. He froze under her calm regard. She was a slender young woman with dark, curly brown hair that fell passed her shoulders. She wore powder blue jeans and a white tank-top. Judging by her bare arms, she had done some training in the past.  
  
Goten was all blushed out, but still couldn't bring himself to say anything. Silently the girl's gaze moved from him to look at the store front he was leaning against. One eyebrow arched and she smiled mischevously. "Gee, we've only just met and you want to buy me one of those?"  
  
Confused, Goten turned to face the shop and realized for the first time he had been standing in front of a lingerie store for the passed twenty minutes. His eyes locked onto a particularly saucy little black lace number.  
  
Maybe he wasn't completely finished blushing.  
  
"Kkk...kkkkk...kk...kga!!!" Goten leapt a good ten meters into the air before landing on the other side of square. He fell back onto an unoccupied bench and pounded his chest in an effort to break the embarrassed cough he had developed.  
  
The girl walked over to him, laughing lightly, her voice carrying a musical tone. Goten couldn't move as she bore down on him. "Oh, do relax," suggested. The girl casually sat down next to him and smiled, her dark brown eyes burning with a strange intensity. "You are him, hai? Son Goten?"  
  
Managing to contain the awkward feeling of innocence, Goten stumbled over his own reply. "H-hai, th-that's...ah, that's r-right."  
  
The girl's smile was warm and gentle as she shook her head. "...You're cute, I'll give you that. Demo, we're definitely going to have to work on that attitude of yours."  
  
"Beg pardon? What are you talking about?" Goten relaxed a bit. She wasn't as aggressive as the others, so he felt surprisingly at ease.  
  
"I should really learn to introduce myself first." The girl stood up and bowed, her hair tumbling down over her shoulders. "My name is Paresu."  
  
Goten got up and mimicked her action, though his own bow was a little stiff having fell into disuse. "Ah, nice to meet you, Paresu-san."  
  
She laughed again, the sound seeming very pleasing to Goten's ears. Her laugh was nearly hypnotizing and he almost missed what she said next. "You might as well relax. We'll be spending a lot of time together."  
  
"Nani!? What do you mean?"  
  
"You're just full of questions today, aren't you? Walk with me, I'll explain on the way back to Capsule Corp." Goten followed her nervously as they returned to his home. He was dubious at first and was slow to believe her little narration. However, when she started on the past day/year she spent with his father, Goten warmed up to the idea, having noticed several things that were distinctly Goku-esque. "And then I came looking for you," she finished.  
  
"Seems you two are very close." His voice was almost mournful. He studied the ground a bit sadly.  
  
Paresu hadn't expected this and she was glad she had glossed over the more intimate depths of her relationship with Goku. "Hai, we are." She paused, groping for something to say to lighten the young Saiyajin's mood. "Did you really kill Nagareboshi?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.  
  
"...Hm? Iie. That was tousan. Me and Trunks helped out, but I really was out of my league. But for tousan..." Goten looked up, his voice hovering on reverential. "Tousan can do anything," he stated with a sound of finality.  
  
"Hai, he can. Goku-sama truly is amazing. Anyway, who's this Trunks?"  
  
"He's my best friend," Goten answered, perking up. "Known him since I was just a baby. Wanna meet him?" 


	20. Episode 20

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume III -- Revelations  
  
Episode 20 -- Paresu Meets the Family!! Goten's Anxious Anticipation!!  
  
"Anyway, who's this Trunks?"  
  
"He's my best friend," Goten answered, perking up, "Known him since I was just a baby. Wanna meet him?"  
  
"I'd love to!" Paresu turned her head to face forward. "Mm, nice timing."  
  
"Hn? Oh, we're here!" Goten realized, recognizing the familiar dome of the Capsule Corporation main compound (though partially flattened, no one had taken the time to make repairs). Trunks was out front practicing his sword forms. "Oi! Trunks-kun!"  
  
Trunks looked up from his practicing to see Goten approaching him with a young woman. The older Saiyajin raised an eyebrow at seeing Paresu. "Goten-kun! Who's this?" Trunks nodded in Paresu's direction, sheathing the sword over his back. "Ohayo, hajimemashite."  
  
Goten clasped his friend on the shoulder and indicated Paresu with the other as he made his introduction. "This is Paresu. I met her this morning. Paresu-kun, this is my best friend, Trunks."  
  
Paresu bowed again. "Ohayo, Trunks-san. It is an honor to meet you."  
  
Trunk bowed with exaggerated flourish. "Onegai, the honor is all mine." He straightened out and glanced at the younger Saiyajin. He laughed ruefully. "Judging by Goten's expression, it seems you've stolen my friend away from me," he said with a wry smirk.  
  
Goten realized he had been staring at Paresu's profile and wiped the silly grin off his face. "S-shut up!"  
  
Paresu laughed too. "Not at all, Trunks-kun. I think we can share him for a while, ne?"  
  
"I suppose so. I have no use for him in bed anyway," Trunks responded.  
  
"I'm sure I can find something to for him to do."  
  
Goten's face was smeared with indignation. "I'm right here!! Do you mind!! I don't appreciate you talking about me as if I were side of beef!!" He turned to Paresu. "And just _what_ was that _last_ comment supposed to mean!?"  
  
Paresu ignored Goten, instead turning back to Trunks. "I though it was pretty clear. Wouldn't you agree?"  
  
Trunks struck a ridiculous looking pose that was supposed to look like he was thinking it over. "Well, you have to remember, Goten is rather..." Trunks leaned towards Paresu and whispered behind his hand, "simple."  
  
"Dame da, kuso!!" Goten reached for Trunks' neck, making a strangling motion with his hands.  
  
Trunks stepped back, laughing as he waved his hands placatingly. "Iie, onegai shimasu, somebody help me!" Paresu fell onto the grass, rolling with laughter as Trunks feigned distress. "Can't somebody protect me from this brute!" he cried in a falsetto.  
  
"TRUNKS!!" Goten fumed. He chased the elder Saiyajin across the yard, ready to throttle his 'best friend'. Paresu was making some attempt to stifle her laughter and get to her feet, but wasn't succeeding.  
  
"YAMERO!!!" came a gruff roar. Vegeta landed right between the two young men, looking particularly cheesed off. Trunks straightened quickly, embarrassed by his lack of composure. Goten was equally embarrassed and jerked back in a reflexive salute. "What's the meaning of this!!" he roared.  
  
While Goten and Trunks tried to ramble out an explanation, Paresu rose to her feet and accessed the vegetable-haired man. [Mmm... that'll be a tough nut to crack...] Bravely, she stepped forward and bowed. "Konnichi wa, Vegeta-ouji. I'm afraid it was my fault."  
  
Vegeta regarded her coolly. "Who's this? Goten!"  
  
Goten immediately stepped forward to introduce the girl. "This is my friend Paresu, jisan. I met her today," he explained quickly before retreating. Vegeta was very intimidating when he was like this.  
  
Paresu straightened and flashed a smile that had little effect on the stony Saiyajin. "Might I say, your Majesty. I am honored to meet you. It is not every day one is graced with the presence of the prince of an entire race."  
  
Vegeta seemed wary, but only a moment passed before he barked with uncharacteristic laughter. "Now only if all human's were this respectful," he murmured to himself. "Tell me girl, how do you know that?"  
  
"I spent some time with Goku-sama, your Majesty. He had many, er...things...to say about you."  
  
"Baka Kakarotto. Whatever he said about me was most likely too flattering."  
  
"He thought you might say that."  
  
"Che," the prince 'che'd. Vegeta walked towards a small building Paresu guessed was their home. Vegeta waved his hand, negligently dismissing his two charges. Trunks immediately followed in his father's wake and Goten (quite unconsciously) took Paresu's hand to lead her into the house.  
  
"You know, your Majesty," she said, following them into the kitchen. "You might want to think about just naming yourself king. It's not like someone's going to try and stop you." She sat down at the table and Trunks handed her a glass of water.  
  
"Wouldn't matter if I did," he responded. "I can't claim that rank because I haven't taken Mattuih ne Kanea. The ceremonial Rite of Passage." He took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and downed it effortlessly. Vegeta crushed the bottle in his hand and chucked it before grabbing another.  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"I'd have to kill my father," he answered offhandedly. "Furiza took that chance away from me." He turned to face Trunks, his gaze cold and dangerous. "That also means you can't try it on me."  
  
Trunks looked startled. "I wouldn't do that, Papa!"  
  
"Just as well. You wouldn't be able to anyway and I'd hate to have to kill you when you fail." Without further ado, Vegeta exited the kitchen and walked outside in the general direction of the high-grav gym.  
  
"Is he always that... cold-blooded?" Paresu asked.  
  
"No," Goten offered, perching on the kitchen counter. "He's usually worse."  
  
"Dama da," Trunks said quickly. Goten immediately hopped down off of the counter. Paresu observed the little exchange with certain amusement.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll be going," Paresu said after finishing her drink. She handed the glass to Trunks and he set it aside on the counter.  
  
"Sude ni?" Goten asked disappointedly.  
  
"Hai, I should tell my brother where I've been for the past week or so." Paresu couldn't help feeling she had forgotten something. She was about to give up on it when the pitiful look on Goten's face triggered her memory. "Oh, one more thing. Goten-kun, I'll be going down to the Paozu Mountains in a couple of weeks to train with Goku-sama some more. You should come too."  
  
"Honto? Tousan's back already? I'll be there!"  
  
"Yosh'! Jaa ne, Goten-kun, Trunks-kun."  
  
"Jaa ne!" they said in unison. They waited for her to leave and sat in silence for several minutes. Trunks was making himself a sandwich while Goten sat in contemplation. The elder of the two sat down at the table next to his friend and made short work of the sandwich. Trunks grabbed a soda from the refrigerator and threw one to Goten. He took a sip before finally speaking up. "Kanojo kawaii. I like her."  
  
"Back off."  
  
~~~~~  
  
For Goten, the next two weeks passed by in a daze. Anxiously awaiting his visit to his father's home, the youngest Saiyajin was a bit vague, lost in his own thoughts. Trunks watched this change in his best friend and was glad to see how well Goten was adjusting -- so to speak. Vegeta, on the other hand, was a tad perturbed that Goten wasn't really paying attention to his sparring.  
  
"KUSOTTARE! AHONDARA! BAKAYARO!" Vegeta stormed through the common room, spewing forth a variety of obscenities regarding Goten's lack of focus recently. "TON'MA! KONO YOGORE!"  
  
Trunks cringed away from the fountain of vulgarities that had sprung forth from his father's mouth. "Onegai, Papa. Must you?" Vegeta leveled an dark glare at his son. "Just a suggestion," Trunks said quickly in his defense.  
  
"Tell me something, ore no musuko," Vegeta began, deceptively calm. Trunks was wary of his father's suddenly relaxed manner. "Why is Goten such a BAKA! CHIEOKURE!"  
  
"Ah, Papa... Perhaps you should just relax. Goten's just excited he's going to see his own tousan. It's understandable considering..." Trunks trailed off when he realized that Vegeta was boring a hole in his face with a particularly frigid stare. "Nanimo," he murmured.  
  
The Saiyajin no Ouji was having immense trouble trying to control his frustration and decided to vent his rage on the furniture. Trunks winced as piece by piece, Vegeta demolished the room. The snapping of wood, the crunching of stone, and the shattering of glass resounded about the large room like a horrendous storm and the prince's son tried his very best to be absolutely absorbed in his sword sharpening. When just about everything was broken, Vegeta stood still, realizing he wasn't that mad anymore. "I feel surprisingly at ease," he stated, a touch of shock in his voice.  
  
"Subarashii," Trunks muttered blandly. "Praise Kami."  
  
Unfortunately that didn't last long as a very happy Goten entered the room, whistling an annoyingly upbeat song (yes, it's still Makafushigi Adventure). He stopped as he saw Vegeta, ignoring the fact that his guardian's teeth were grinding audibly. "Oh o~jisa~n!" he sing-songed, "I 'm gonna --" But his words were cut off as Vegeta pounded his way into the next room, missing the door by about a meter. "...What flew up his butt?"  
  
"Shinpai shinai, he's just a little touchy right now. He'll calm down in about--" Trunks checked his watch, "--three days. Where are you going?" he asked, noticing the duffle bag slung over his friend's shoulder.  
  
"Oh! I'm gonna head off to tousan's house right now. When Vegeta-san cools off, tell him I'll be back in a month or so."  
  
"Say 'ohayo' to your tousan and Paresu for me."  
  
"Hai. Jaa ne, Trunks-kun." Goten strolled outside, careful to avoid Vegeta's tirade of violence on the other side of the house. Taking one last look around, Goten jumped into the air and flew roughly east, towards the Paozu mountains. 


	21. Episode 21

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume III -- Revelations  
  
Episode 21 -- A Time to Bond!! Bad Thoughts!?  
  
Goku reached down and touched the floor, stretching his back. It felt good to be back in the old routine as he cycled through the various exercises. Goku was expecting Paresu and his son to show up for a training session later and he was very eager to get started.  
  
He was tremendously excited at the thought of sparring with Goten. His son had learned much over the years under Vegeta and Goku really wanted to test his son's fighting power. Paresu however, might be left out of a few spars, considering she was so weak in comparison, but she was the forgiving type, so Goku didn't give it much thought.  
  
Goku stood up straight and took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. There was always a sense of calm about Paozu that helped Goku relax. This had always been his home, long before he had ever met Bulma or heard about the Dragonballs. Goku smiled, resolving to find Suuchinchu the four-star Dragonball, so he could tell his adoptive grandfather how things were going.  
  
Turning around, Goku walked back into the house. However, this wasn't old Son Gohan's little pagoda. This was the house Goku once lived in with a beautiful wife and a wonderful child. He spent the past couple of weeks completely rebuilding the ruin, though it still felt a tug at his heart every now and then.  
  
Goku reached out to touch a wall, almost tenderly. The house itself was different, but the feel of it was the same. The aging Saiyajin half expected his late wife to walk out Gohan's room and scold him for distracting their son from his studies with wild ideas about turning their boy into a fighter. But those times were long gone and Goku firmly set those memories aside. This was a different lifetime and perhaps he could help restore Chikyuu to the way it was before Nagareboshi.  
  
Goku couldn't help but to laugh out loud. The demon was locked away in the Dead Zone, that is if anything was left after his Perfect Kamehameha. It was strange, but Goku felt almost malicious in thought at that moment, and it scared him. [What was that...?] He shook his head and those dark thoughts vanished. [Hope that won't happen anymore, don't feel right...]  
  
Quite suddenly, Paresu materialized out of thin air just next to Goku. With a happy shout she flung her arms around him and snuggled into his broad chest. Goku laughed and held her in his arms. "Ohayo, Paresu-chan. You that happy to see me?"  
  
Paresu pulled back to look into her mentor's face. She smiled sweetly, hitting him affectionately on the chest. "Of course I do, sempai." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before stepping away to look around. "Where's Goten-kun? Isn't he here yet?"  
  
"Iie, not yet. Actually, he should show up--" he paused as he noticed a strong ki approaching the house, "--any second now."  
  
As if planned, Goten touched down outside the newly rebuilt home, having sensed his father and Paresu within. He walked across a recently re-seeded front lawn towards the house, admiring the recent construction. When Goku emerged with his student, Goten couldn't help himself any longer. Like the little boy he never was, Goten dashed the rest of the way and seized his father in a great bearhug. "Yosh'!! Haha!!"  
  
Goku happily returned the hug. "Hai... hai... Goten," he said, though his words sounded a bit strained. Goku's face was slowly turning red. "Your... real strong... you mind... lettin' up?" the elder Saiyajin asked, his face now a soft shade of purple.  
  
"Ara, gomen, tousan." Abashed, Goten stepped away to let his father breathe. Bowing formally, Goten greeted his father more sedately, then nodded to Paresu. "Ohayo, Paresu-kun. It's good to see you again."  
  
"Doyo ni," she responded with a cute little curtsey. Of course, anything she did was either cute or little considering she was shorter than both men by over half a foot. "I'm really looking forward to training with the great 'Demon Killer'," she said with a laugh  
  
Goku looked down at her a bit confused. "Who's zat?"  
  
Goten scratched the back of his head. "Ah, it's nothing tousan. A lot of people think I killed Nagareboshi," he explained.  
  
"Don'na demo," he replied with a shrug. "Let 'em think what they wanna. No big deal. So," he began, slapping his well-muscled stomach, "what're we gonna do 'bout dinner?"  
  
"Sound's good, tousan. Demo, I can't cook."  
  
"No problem! Paresu-chan can, honto?"  
  
The young woman stared limply at her idol. "Don't you want to train first?" she asked, slightly annoyed.  
  
"Iie, it's late and I'm hungry already. Lotta work today, ne?" As if to emphasize his point, Goku's stomach chose just that moment to rumble loudly. Putting his hands behind his head, Goku gave a short laugh. "See?"  
  
Throwing her hands up in the air, Paresu gave up. However, her manner was betrayed by the smile on her face. "Hai, hai. What do you want for dinner?"  
  
Goku tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Fish is good, I'll go catch some," he decided, nodding his head.  
  
Goten looked a bit dubious at that. "Uhg, I've never been a big fan of fish. I prefer red meat. How 'bout I knock off a couple saurians?"  
  
Goku nodded again, approving of his son's suggestion. "It's a plan then. Build a nice big fire Paresu-chan. I think we're gonna need it." At the same time, Goku and Goten took off in different directions, both waving behind them as the left.  
  
Paresu smiled silently and walked around to the side of the house to gather enough firewood. The meal that night was very much a feast. Paresu had teleported back to the city to pick up some vegetables, which she prepared in any number of ways, to the delight of the two Saiyajin. They ate their fill, though Goku and Goten took considerably longer about it, and Goku announced he was going to bed.  
  
As the sun set, Paresu and Goten sat outside and watched in awe as they were bathed in it's ruby glow. They were more or less silent spectators until Goten broke the quiet evening air. "You know, Paresu-kun, I think things are finally getting better. Tousan's back and Chikyuu's already on the mend. I feel blessed that I'm a part of that."  
  
Paresu turned to face the young man, surprised and not a bit shocked to hear such a heartfelt admission from a rough- and-tumble Saiyajin. She studied his profile for a time. Goten's angular features were actually quite handsome, when he wasn't scowling. That made him look much too like Vegeta.  
  
Wordlessly, Paresu got up from her seat beside the Saiyajin and prepared to retire for the night, pausing only to bend down and kiss Goten on the cheek. The young man was startled, but didn't say anything, only watching the sway of the girl's retreating figure. Goten touched his cheek, still feeling her soft lips on his face. He turned back to the sunset with a dreamy sort of smile on his face. [Sugoi...]  
  
~~~~~  
  
"OK, let's get started, eh?" Goku offered the following morning. The three had sat around the small kitchen table chatting idly in little spurts. During a brief silence, Goku missed the knowing glance Paresu had thrown at Goten, as well as the young man's blushing response. However, neither mentioned the previous evenings exchange. "So? What'dya say?"  
  
Goten stood, pushing back the chair. "That's what I was waiting to hear!" he said eagerly. He flashed a smile and waved two fingers in a "V". Paresu smiled to herself and followed the two excited Saiyajin outside. "What's first on the agenda, tousan?"  
  
"Nani? Oh, you mean what's first. I know you can both fight, so how 'bout a free-for-all to get things rolling?"  
  
Goten looked to Paresu for her opinion. She shrugged and when the both turned back to Goku, he was already charging towards them. Goten was used to that type of tactic from Vegeta and managed to defend himself, only being driven back a few meters by the rush, but the startled young woman at his side was quickly bowled over.  
  
Goten jumped and whirled for a kick to his father's back. Goku blocked it and lunged in for a punch to the gut, but Goten was ready for it and rolled over the strike. He kicked his father in the head and flipped away to land near Paresu. Helping her to her feet, "You okay?"  
  
Paresu kneed him in the stomach and flipped Goten onto his back. Smiling down at him, "Free-for-all, remember?" She punched down at his chest, but Goku rammed her, not roughly but enough to push her away. With reflexes only a Saiyajin could muster, Goten thrust both his feet up and caught his speeding father in the stomach. Goten the flipped to his feet and smacked away a ki bolt Paresu had fired. Goku fired his own a split second later, but Goten spun and kicked it, then fired ki beams towards both aggressors.  
  
Paresu barely dodged it in time and rolled away as the father and son flew up to in a fury of fists and feet. [I think I'm waaaaay out of my league here!] Concentrating, Paresu called up the final technique Goku had taught her. "KAIOU- KEN!!!" The red aura burst around her, casting the area in red light. Paresu was actually surprised how far up she could push her ki.  
  
Powering into the air faster than ever before, Paresu flipped at the last moment and dove upwards into Goten's face, then flipped off it and turned to fire a ki blast at Goku at point-blank range. Goku was pushed back, then flew in, winding up for a punch. Suddenly, Goten fell from the air and grabbed both of them by the head. As a group, they plummeted to the ground and Goten drove both heads into the turf before jumping back, blasting away the ground around them with a ki bolt.  
  
Goku jumped up out of the rubble and flew straight ahead, then used the Shunkan Idou to teleport around back. Caught unaware, Goku smashed the younger Saiyajin in the back then grabbed his leg and flung him into Paresu, who had just dragged herself out of the crater. Goten barreled into her, but immediately flipped over and flung the girl at her mentor.  
  
Goku easily caught the girl in his arms and she thanked him be punching the man in the face. She then kicked him soundly in the chest and fired a ki bolt at Goten. However, Goten was already closing in and smacked it aside before slamming into she and Goku respectively. He wrestled the other two to the ground and held them pinned, placing a forearm under either's chin. "Ha, gotcha! Yatta!" he gloated with a wide grin.  
  
Paresu was exhausted, her aura having faded on impact, and Goku was too busy laughing to retaliate. "Hahaha! Ore kofuku! I surrender! You win! Hahaha!" Goten stood and helped the two to their feet. Goku stepped back to dust himself off, but Paresu leaned into Goten and kissed him quickly on the cheek again. The young Saiyajin tried fiercely to control his blush and was glad when Goku announced, "Let's take a break, ne?"  
  
Goku ducked back into the house to grab a drink. Goten was about to ask Paresu why she had been teasing him like that, but when he turned to face her, she was gone. Exasperated, Goten flopped down onto the lawn and watched the clouds float by, forcing himself to ignore her advances. Goten sighed inwardly as a familiar song popped into his head once again.  
  
~~~~~  
  
During a lull in their sparring, Goku approached his son, a big grin on his face. "Goten, I want to show you something."  
  
"Hai, tousan? What is it?"  
  
"C'mere. Follow me."  
  
Goten obediently followed his father farther away from the house, waving to Paresu as they passed. Goku nodded and he took off into the air, his son right behind him. They flew for several minutes before Goku raised his hand for a halt. He set down on a particularly high and mist enshrouded plateau and Goten joined him, wondering what it could possibly be. "C'mon tousan. What's so important?"  
  
"I want show you this," he said, waving his hand across the fog-hidden horizon. Bunching the muscles in one arm, Goku thrust out and open palm and pushed the very air away in a great gust. The mist parted, revealing a beautiful jungle valley. A sparkling waterfall crashed into a crystal clear pool at the far end and the wide, flat leaves of sprawling trees were covered with dew.  
  
Goten was awe-struck at the sight. The pure, untainted magnificence of the valley was nearly beyond comprehension. That such a place could exist in this battle-scarred world must have truly been a miracle. "Tousan... It's beautiful. When...? I mean --"  
  
"I know," he said, raising one hand. "I found this a long time ago, I was just a kid. It was the greatest thing I had ever seen--" he paused, "--next to your kaasan of course. I decided I'd keep this place a secret between me and okaasama Chikyuu. I've never found a good reason to come here again until now."  
  
"Oh? Doshite?"  
  
"There's something I wanna teach you, Goten-kun. I learned this from my first sensei, Kame-sen'nin. I also taught this to your niisan, Gohan. Now I wanna teach you. The Kamehameha." Without another word, Goku drew back, cupping his hands at his side.  
  
Quickly, Goten copied the pose. There was a kind of rushing exulted feeling in his heart that seemed to tell him 'Hurry, baka! He may only do this once!' But Goten knew that wasn't true. His father would repeat himself all day and all night if it meant he could pass on just this one thing to his son.  
  
The two practiced for may hours, even well after Goten had mastered the technique. The sheer joy of being together with his father now was enough to keep Goten going for weeks, months on end. When the low hung sun announced the arrival of dusk, the elder Saiyajin finally called an end to the lesson. They had resolved to return home the next day, despite ready access to the Shunkan Idou.  
  
As they lay next to each other, the last thing Goten said to his father that night was the one thing Goku had yearned to hear. "Aishiteru, tousan."  
  
~~~~~  
  
It went on like that for the next couple of weeks, although because Goku and Goten had to push their fighting powers down, Paresu was the only one really benefitting from their sparring sessions. One early morning Goten had risen early to find his father sitting at the table in silence, soaking in the first rays of golden light from outside. Without looking, Goku beckoned his son over to sit next to him.  
  
Goten pulled up a chair and turned it around backwards before sitting down. Resting his head on his arms, Goten glanced only momentarily at the new day's dawn before turning to face his father. "Tousan," he whispered in the way people do so early in the morning. "What are you thinking about?"  
  
Goku smiled a bit sadly before answering. "The gold-colored sun... reminds me of... Super Saiyajin..." He shook his head and took another drink from a mug of water.  
  
Goten's brow nit, trying to make sense of what his father had just said. [What a...strange thing to say...] "What do you mean by that, tousan?" he asked slowly.  
  
"For all my power..." As if finally realizing Goten was there, Goku turned to face his son. "I keep getting stronger, but I keep feeling like things just get worse. When I can finally handle one battle, the next is always too much for me..." Goten was mortified at this sudden revelation into his father's thoughts, but was too stunned to interrupt. "I keep thinking I'm helping out, just trying to fight back against something bad, ne? Demo, ore..." He stopped suddenly, his eyes widening. Quite unexpectedly, Goku dropped the mug and buried his head in his hands, his broad shoulders shaking with heavy sobs.  
  
Goten immediately wrapped his arms around the weeping Saiyajin, cooing as if to a baby to help relax the usually intense, strong-willed man. Goten himself felt weak with shock at his father's grief and tried to shake the sudden feeling of dread that hit the pit of his stomach harder than any blow. The time for words had passed, and Goku still held that mournful pose of sorrow.  
  
Roused from sleep, Paresu stumbled into the kitchen yawning into a hand. She was still a bit tired, but the sight of Goku, crying his eyes out, shook the drowsiness from her mind. Paresu froze, shaking her head as if to deny that this wasn't happening. Goten turned to look at her, his eyes pleading. 'Help me' they said. 'I don't know what to do. Please help my father. Please.'  
  
Paresu rushed over to the weeping man, her bare feet slapping on the cold, smooth kitchen floor. She threw herself onto Goku, hugging him for all her worth. The two youths sat in silence, both nearly on the verge of tears themselves. The sun rose on time, unheeding of one man's plight.  
  
Hours had passed and Goku had long since stopped crying, but neither of his two children, one true by blood, the other adopted through love, dared move from his still form. When Goku's voice finally shattered the oppressive mood, it was broken and strained through a tight throat. "Bad thoughts..."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Amatsu Mikaboshi watched the Saiyajin's agony with glee, ignorant of Bishamon's startled and confused cries. While the samurai god scrambled to find out what was the matter, the dark lord chuckled mentally. [This is just the beginning. Soon I will have my opportunity. Soon...] 


	22. Episode 22

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume III -- Revelations  
  
Episode 22 -- A Hero's Surprise Depression!! Shocking News for Son Goku!!  
  
"Bad thoughts..."  
  
Goten reacted immediately, and pulled away just slightly so that he could look his father in the face. "What is it tousan?" he asked softly. "Why are you... Why?"  
  
Goku raised his head from his arms, his cheeks stained with tears. The scar on his face almost seemed to disappear in his ashen complection. "Bad thoughts.... bad thoughts..." he choked out, almost like a child. "They... they won't... go away..." Goku collapsed into Goten's arms, exhausted from his weeping. Goten better positioned his father in his arms and half-carried him to his bed.  
  
When Goku was finally settled, Paresu pushed the black spiky bangs from his eyes, wiping away the sweat of a man overburdened. She kissed his forehead gently, then turned to Goten. Together, they left the room so Goku could rest. As Goten closed the door, Goku murmured in his sleep, whether from dreams or nightmares, one could only guess.  
  
"What do we do, Goten-chan?" Paresu asked, her voice thick with distress.  
  
"I-I don't know. I just don't..." Goten slammed a fist into his palm in frustration. "Kuso!"  
  
Paresu shook her head, trying clear the memory of the painful morning from her head. With a choked shout, she ran into Goten's arms and he accepted her without hesitation. They stood that way in the small hallway for several more minutes. Finally, Paresu pulled away, wiping the tears from her eyes. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.  
  
Goten took a deep breath. "Paresu-chan. I think maybe we should take turns watching tousan today. I'll go first. Onegai, go back to bed and get some rest."  
  
"Are you sure?" she managed to say.  
  
He nodded gravely. "Hai, ima onegai. Go back to bed." Without thinking, Goten leaned down and kissed the young woman tenderly on the cheek. He smiled warmly and turned her around to face her bedroom. "Iku," he said gently.  
  
Paresu walked slowly to the door leading into her room. She turned to look back at Goten, who still watched her. She smiled with confidence she didn't feel and closed the door behind her.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Are you nuts!?" Goten roared, though he instantly regretted it. Fortunately, Goku's face showed no anger at the outburst. Calming himself, Goten continued in a more dignified manner. "Otousan, I'm not going to leave, especially not now."  
  
"Onegai, Goten-kun. Just leave. I need to work some things out. I hafta do this alone."  
  
"Demo! --"  
  
"Iie, listen to me. Tousan da, ne? Just go. It'll be okay." Goku smiled weakly. It wasn't very reassuring.  
  
Unfortunately, Goten realized there was no point in pursuing the matter. Talking to Goku was like talking to a brick, and he was even more stubborn. "I don't like it."  
  
"You don't have to. Go back to Vegeta and Trunks. You have a home there." Goku turned to look back at the house he had built twice now. "I'm not too sure 'bout this place right now."  
  
Goten shook his head. "That's a horrible thing to say, tousan... But I can't argue with you. I'll be back," he finished almost warningly. Goten turned away, disgusted half with his father for being like this and half with himself for giving up. The young man stopped next to Paresu, whom Goku had also turned away. "Onegai, Paresu-chan. Check up on him from time to time?"  
  
She nodded, "I will. Goten-chan?"  
  
"Mm, hai?"  
  
"What are we going to do?"  
  
"...Wait. Shikata ga nai. Ah, Paresu-chan. You know, your always welcome at Capsule Corp. Feel free to stop by for a visit anytime."  
  
"I promise I will. Jaa ne, Goten-chan." She stretched up onto her tiptoes to reach his face and kissed him once again on the cheek, though this time it wasn't teasingly.  
  
"Jaa ne." Not turning to look back, Goten pushed away from the ground and flew away to the west.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Bakana!" Trunks stood up quickly, sending the chair he had been occupying skidding across the floor. "Why the hell did you just leave!"  
  
Goten's head hung and he shook it slowly in sadness. "I had no choice in the matter, Trunks-kun. He made me leave." Goten had just finished telling his best friend and guardian what had taken place during the past month. He glossed over some of the more emotional events, but he still felt obliged to reveal the extent of his father's despair.  
  
Trunks slammed his fist against the wall in anger. Anger directed not at Goten or even Goku, but more at himself for not sensing the approaching trouble. He was silent for a moment before responding more sedately. "I gather you never noticed that presence again?"  
  
"Nani? You mean the one from before!? Iie, not once the whole time. I thought it was gone."  
  
"Unfortunately not. I began to manifest more often now, getting stronger and closer every day." He punched into one hand. "Kuso! Something bad's been kicking around for some time now. Now it's a matter of when." After a pause, Trunks turned to face his father. "Papa?"  
  
Vegeta, who had not spoken once during the entire narration, sat calmly on the edge of the table. With his eyes closed, he seemed methodical, as if meditating. Slowly, he opened them and looked towards his son, not with the usual scowl, but a strange uncertainty. "I don't know anymore than you, Trunks. You're right though, it's a waiting game now. And it seems Kakarotto's going to be the center of attention."  
  
"Then what do we do?" Goten pleaded, his voice thick, but still strong.  
  
"Nothing we can do but prepare. Don't let your guard down boys, a storm's brewing but we can't see it." With that, Vegeta turned and exited the room, his shoulders slightly hunched over, deep in thought.  
  
After the Saiyajin no Ouji was out of earshot, Goten leaned close to Trunks, his voice a hoarse whisper. "I don't like this Trunks. Tousan's down in the dumps and Vegeta-san is actually thinking first. I was half expecting him to offer to blow tousan's head off to prevent some kinda trouble."  
  
Trunks drew back and regarded the younger man before him. "What's gotten into you!? Papa's not that bad!"  
  
"You are you kidding!? ...Gomen, I'm afraid things have soured my mood some what. It's just--" But Goten cut off as an enormous power sent a tingling sensation down his spine. "Trunks!!"  
  
"Hai," he said, his voice wavering slightly. "I felt it too. Kami, nande yo!?"  
  
Outside the main compound, Vegeta was hovering in the air. His face set in a tight scowl of anger and confusion, and perhaps something else. Fear. His muscles bunch in anticipation of the coming -- what, battle? Could such a momentous event be restricted to physical combat? And that is what Vegeta fears most of all. The reality that he is powerless to stop the very tides of change. The cold west wind wraps his body in an icy grip, but the Saiyajin no Ouji could care less as he faces an enormous threat, not from the east, but from the north.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The assemblage of deities converged on Mikaboshi as one, each of their voices demanding him to stop, but he would not. Only Susanoh seemed unsurprised as the dark god disappeared, already en route to the mortal world. "Why are you surprised?" Mikaboshi laughed, mockingly. "You always suspected I was cheating, didn't you? But now you can't stop me!"  
  
As hard as they tried, non of the other gods could break the barrier their brother had erected. "You're mad!" Bishamon cried. "If you do that, you'll destroy the world!"  
  
The voice of the samurai's younger brother echoed back to him in a haunting cackle. "I know! And when you fools have lost your foothold in that world, you'll have no power against me in this one! Bwah ha ha ha ha!!!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Across hundreds of worlds, amidst barren wastes to untamed wilderness to great civilizations, the very fabric of reality shudders and is drawn taught with strain. Such a power was never meant to be drawn into the mortal plane and everything in the universe, from the inanimate to the sentient, feels it's coming.  
  
However, it is one person that suffers the greatest. The vessel in which Mikaboshi will inhabit and thus destroy all existence. One young woman, born with no other purpose but to act as the Avatar. One young woman who wishes dearly to help a beloved friend and mentor. One young woman who answers to the name Paresu.  
  
Paresu staggers back, the agony of a sudden supreme awareness far too much to bear. She clutches her head and her slender body spasms in pain, her shrill cry attracting the attention of simple bystanders. Some rush over to help, many stand idly, enthralled by the spectacle. But none of them matter now, for Paresu's mind is too far gone to acknowledge their presence.  
  
Alien thoughts flood her mind, images and concepts so completely beyond imagination that not even a hundred artists, writers, or philosophers could ever come up with it's like. Paresu is witness to the creation of the universe, the evolution of first life, and finally the end of it all. Countless eons of history pass in the flicker of an eye and the rise and fall of even the greatest civilizations becomes an ever day, every second, occurrence.  
  
But it is not only the thoughts of a God that infiltrate this young woman's mind. It is the power as well. A rolling, convulsing mist gathers just under her skin, the glowing nimbus radiating power and growing every second. Spectators draw back in terror, but their time has already come. The initial backlash of power explodes from Paresu's body, decimating fifteen city blocks of the North City.  
  
Like some demonic bullet, Paresu screams across the sky, even now her body twisting and contorting to fit a new occupant. The immense power she has unwillingly accepted is far too much for her to contain and she flies wildly, over Penguin Village one second, then over the Yahhoi forest the next. Finally she stopped somewhere over the Central Plains, the mind of the Lord of Darkness having taken full command. Glowing red eyes flutter open and gazes with clinic indifference at her first victim, Chikyuu.  
  
And her first rival, Son Goku.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Vegeta rocketed back down to the ground the instant he sensed a huge spike of ki. Nearly colliding with the boys as they rushed out of the house, Vegeta spun to steady himself. "C'mon!! Ikusho!!" he shouted without explanation. Not looking back, Vegeta powered up to Super Saiyajin and flew off towards the southeast.  
  
Goten and Trunks spared no time to catch up and quickly gained on the prince. "Tousan!!" Trunks shouted over the roar of the wind. "What's going on!!?"  
  
"I don't know, baka!! Can't you feel that ki!!? It just stopped over the central plains!!"  
  
"Are we going to fight--" Goten groped for the word "--whoever it is that's so strong!!?"  
  
"I have no idea!! Now shut up and fly faster!!"  
  
The three flew on in silence then, all of them too nervous to think of anything. It would take several minutes to reach the interior of the central plains and considering the size of the power out there, they had plenty of time to contemplate their own mortality. 


	23. Episode 23

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume III -- Revelations  
  
Episode 23 -- The Hidden Power Unlocked Again!! God Versus God!!  
  
Goku immediately recognized the dress this strange woman was wearing as Paresu's. But the dark, swirling nimbus that filled her frame also obscured her features and only her glowing, blood red eyes could be seen beyond the mist. Cascading down her shoulders were tentacle-like locks, too brimming with the dusky smog. The overall effect was quite creepy, especially in tandem with the still rising ki Goku sensed from her.  
  
A cold wind swept across the plain far below, the two floating figures completely still, sizing each other up. Finally, the woman spoke first, not with the gentle voice of a human girl, but with an ethereal voice that spoke directly into Goku's mind. [You are the man known as Son Goku?]  
  
"Hai. What have you done with Paresu-chan?" the Saiyajin demaned.  
  
[Of course,] the being replied. [You're connection with this girl would make it obvious I have taken her. But she is merely my pawn. It was always her purpose to become my avatar.]  
  
"Avatar..?" Goku wondered aloud. "Yarou, you just stole her body!!"  
  
[Her body and soul belong to me,] Mikaboshi countered with a flippant wave. [You're all just pawns in our game. Everything in this universe is under the control of the gods. I could have destroyed this girl with but a whim. As it is, I shall use her as a conduit to disprut the fabric of this universe.]  
  
Goku shook his head, confused. This flood of information was giving him a headache. "Well I won't be controlled by you. And I'll take Paresu-chan back," he added, clenching his fists.  
  
[Oh ho, it is to laugh! I am a _god_, you fool! The Lord of Evil and Darkness! I'm sure you can sense the vastness of my power. And it will only grow as my essence continues to be focused into this girl.] Even as Mikaboshi spoke, Goku could see the roiling clouds beneath Paresu's skin growing darker and fiercer. It was true, the being's power was growing faster and faster.  
  
"Iie...I won't stand for this..."  
  
[Like you have a choi--]  
  
"SHUT UP!!" Goku barked. His aura sprang to life as his anger grew, burning gold. "If I hafta, I'll just kick you out of her."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Gale force winds suddenly whipped up out of nowhere, pushing Vegeta back into the two young men just behind him. A blinding golden light flared out just ahead of them, nearly blinding the three men. Vegeta barely managed to cover his eyes in time, shielding his face with his arms.  
  
When the light finally decreased to a tolerable level, Vegeta turned to face Goten and Trunks, both of which were rubbing their eyes to clear the spot away. "I think we're close," Vegeta growled with uncommon humor. He waved them forward and they proceeded again, now a bit more cautious.  
  
What they saw was a truly unsettling scene. Goku hovered, cloaked in golden fire and silver peals of lightning, just in front of another being, looking strangely magical but apparently female. "Nande kuso!? Kakarotto!" Vegeta shot forward towards Goku, but stopped, shocked beyond belief at what he saw.  
  
This close, Vegeta could now see clearly through Goku's aura. He hadn't seen it the first time, but this was the furious power that destroyed Nagareboshi. It was clearly beyond what the prince himself had attained at Vegeta was speechless. He thought he'd surpassed Kakarotto at last, but clearly he was mistaken. The older man gritted his teeth, feeling something between awe and frustration.  
  
Goku turned to face the older Saiyajin, his face contorted in fury. "Stay back, minna!" he said through gritted teeth. "This is my fight!" Vegeta couldn't argue with that, falling back to hover between Goten and Trunks. The two young men were speechless.  
  
The Avatar waved her arm impatiently. [Come then. This is the end and you shall be my first victim Son Goku!] Without further warning, the god in woman's form raised her hand and brought it down in a cutting motion. A wave of paper thin, invisible ki sliced through the air towards Goku, but he merely floated to the side. It passed by him, barely snipping his long mane hair.  
  
The goddess's eye's flashed and she crafted an enormous ki orb that filled the sky. She retreated higher into the air before throwing the giant ki bomb at her foe. Goku up his open palm to the side, a giant disc of ki forming quickly. It produced a whir, similar to that of a buzz saw, as he tossed the disc, cutting the ki orb like a razor. The ki orb split into two halves, each exploding impressively. Though caught between the rushing winds and intense heat, Goku appeared nonchalant.  
  
"Is that all you have!? Muda..." Goku taunted.  
  
[Of course not!] The Avatar launched a barrage of ki bolts across the horizon, then directed them all to converge on Goku. The Saiyajin moved back to give himself space to maneuver. He too raised his palm, but fired nothing. When all of the ki bolts were about to strike, they instead hit a bowl of ki and ricocheted back towards their user.  
  
The ki bolts closed in on the Avatar, but she destroyed them with a giant shield radiating out from her body. Said barrier continued to grow until Goku flew and punched right through it, shattering the attack like glass. The Avatar drew back into a pose that looked suspiciously like a Kamehameha and fired a huge ki beam.  
  
The blast cut through the air, but missed its target. Goku hovered behind the Avatar, his arms crossed confidently. "I guess you don't fight much. You're definitely strong, but like this, Paresu is more of a challenge."  
  
The Avatar's hands shook in fists. [Don't you mock me, you simple little creature.] The goddess' tendril-like 'hair' rose up and lashed out, wrapping around the Saiyajin's arms and legs. One particularly strong tentacle closed around his throat and Goku struggled to keep it from choking him. [Ultimately, you're still just a minor nuisance.]  
  
Avatar swung her head around and flung him down to the ground. Goku crashed through one of the many natural stone towers that dotted the otherwise flat plain. The rocks exploded around him as he cut right down through the middle, finall coming to rest just below ground level. Opening his eyes, he rolled away just in time to avoid having Avatar step on his face. The Saiyajin lept and swung his leg around, but struck another barrier as she raised a hand. Goku got the distinct impression the Avatar was smirking at him, so he pulled his leg back and snapped it forward, the second blow shattering her shield and slamming into the side of her head. The Avatar stumbled and raised her other hand in defense of Goku's follow up attack.  
  
The tall man suddenly felt a giant hand was pressing against his chest as he was pushed away. Goku dug his feet into the ground and resisted the unseen force. Meanwhile, his enemy flicked her fingers at him and another invisible wave rushed towards the Saiyajin, who tried to block by raising his arms in front of him. The wave cut into his forearms and chest, spraying blood on the grass and dirt below. Wincing, Goku saw Avatar raise and hand. He Shunkan Idou-ed away just in time as her powers stripped the earth bare in a blaze of heat.  
  
Goten gasped as his father suddenly appeared in front of him. The way the older man panted made it clear: this level of power, no matter how massive, was difficult to maintain. "Tousan!" Goten said, moving to help the man.  
  
The Avatar looked up in their direction and Vegeta spat. He flattened his palm at the woman and a shining orb of blue ki gathered together. Goku quickly grabbed the prince's wrist and--distracted--the energy was lost. "Iie, Vegeta. Lemme handle this. I hafta find a way to beat that thing without hurtin' Paresu."  
  
"She's lost, Kakarotto," the Saiyajin no Ouji replied, ignoring Goten's pointed glare. "And that thing, whatever it is, is still getting stronger. We have to end this!"  
  
"NO!" Goku barked, pushing him away. "Just stay outta this."  
  
The taller Saiyajin flared his aura and rocketed down towards his opponent. In response, Avatar raised her hands and the wind swirled around her violently. As Goku neared, she aimed a palm at him and the raging winds attacked. They rushed to meet him and struck repeatedly like invisible fists. Unable to see the attacks, Goku had no choice but to Shunkan Idou away, now high above Avatar.  
  
[Let me show you the wrath of god,] the being spoke into his mind. She raised a finger at him, but Goku couldn't tell if she was gathering power for another attack. But everything seemed to get darker and he was surrounded by the rolling tremble of thunder. The Saiyajin turned to an enormous storm cloud had gathered behind him. There was a quick flash from somewhere within it and he was suddenly struck by a bolt of lightening. Shot out of the sky, Goku plummeted down once more in a smoldering heap.  
  
Avatar watched in delight as Goku fell past her, then did a double-take when he suddenly stopped. The Saiyajin's head snapped up and he grinned. "It'll take more than that to kill me!" he said, hand lancing out to grab the front of Paresu's dress. He pulled the Avatar in and kneed her roughly in the stomach, then swung her around and flew down, smashing her into the plain surface. The being cried out, surprised by the pain, and the smokey appearance of the god's intrusion flickered like a bad television screen. He stepped back, watching as the Avatar climbed shakily to her knees. "I was right...you've never fought before."  
  
[SHINEEEEE!!!] the goddess shrieked, raising her hand at Goku.  
  
The Saiyajin quickly grabbed her hand, nearly crushing it in his tremendous grip and the pain wracked her small body. He grinned despite himself. "You're not accustomed to the pain, are you?" Goku picked her up roughly and tossed her into the air, then assaulted the Avater with a barrage of punches. She screamed shrilly and when she finally fell to the ground again, the smoke beneath her skin seemed much thinner. The Saiyajin could actually see Paresu's pained features behind the grayness. "Sorry for doin' this, Paresu-chan."  
  
[You're the one that'll be sorry, you miserable wretch,] Avatar countered as she climbed to her feet again, strength quickly returning as Amatsu Mikaboshi's power continued to flow into her. [Despite your efforts, I am nearly complete.]  
  
"Then I'll end it now," Goku said. He drew back into his famous pose. "KAAAAA... MEEEEE... HAAAAA... MEEEEE... HAAAAAAA!!!!!" The energy beam scorched the air in its passing and struck head on into its target, flowing across the Avatar's body. She convulsed with a horrid shriek, the dark god's power being washed away in the river of blue ki.  
  
When the light faded and the ringing in his ears died down, Goku saw only Paresu lying on the ground. Much of her dress had been burned away and she bore many cuts and bruises over her body. Apparently Mikaboshi's power did not protect her from harm. Satisfied that the evil god had been completely erased from within his student, Goku powered down and pulled off his shirt, wrapping it around the girl. She did not stir, but the Saiyajin was relief was overwhelming to see her still breathing. A silent tear rolled down her cheek and the tall man held her gingerly.  
  
Around them, Vegeta and the teens touched down on the ground. Goten slowly approached, laying a hand on his father's shoulder.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"So where is he?" Paresu asked weakly. She lay in her hospital bed, covered in bandages and casts. She shifted uncomfortably, a bit embarrassed to have three men in her room when she wore nothing but a dressing gown. "Why isn't Goku-sama here?"  
  
Vegeta was staring out the window, not really paying attention to the conversation. He seemed no angrier than usual, but those close to him knew that he was deeply upset. By the door, Trunks rubbed his arm nervously, not trusting himself to speak. Goten sat beside Paresu's bed, his hand holding hers. "He's gone home..." he said dejectedly. "He said he had some thinking to do. About his new power."  
  
Paresu turned her head away from the young man to look out the window. There were no birds in the sky, and though it was cloudless, the sky itself was a dull grey, as if in mourning. "It's not over..." she murmured.  
  
"...Do you think--"  
  
"Iie, iie. The... whatever is gone now. I hardly remember anything about it. But I feel something, deep down. Things are just coming to a head, we'll have to be careful now."  
  
Vegeta turned from the window to regard the youths before him. "We have a lot to do. A lot to prepare for." 


	24. Episode 24

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume IV -- Madness in the Heart  
  
Episode 24 -- Hard Times Fall on the Z Soldiers!! What's Wrong With Goku!?  
  
Deep in the Paozu Mountains, a small pagoda sits in silence amidst the light chirping of crickets. Illuminated only by the faint light of the stars, it is a monument to the old ways, every aspect built to correspond with nature. An old well a meter away stares dumbly up into the night sky, gaping open like a stone maw. There is no yard to speak of, only a clearing in the dense mountain forest.  
  
Inside the tiny, traditional home, Son Goku sits in meditation, floating a few inches off the floor. Legs crossed, his arms are held in the lotus position, hands resting in his lap. His face is calm, unemotional, but a single bead of sweat roles down his brow, belaying an inner struggle. For weeks now, Goku has been searching his soul for the wellspring of his new power. A power that now even frightens himself.  
  
Goku's lip twitched, then curled into a half-snarl. A feral hiss leaked from between his clenched teeth, but he forced himself to silence. [Control... Must stay... in control...]  
  
Brow furrowing, the strain of concentration takes its toll with a splitting migraine. However, Goku does not budge, for fear of having to stop and losing his chance at an answer in the time it takes to seek relief.  
  
The Saiyajin's body tensed and his muscles bunched tighter. Such severe meditation is now not only a mental task, but a physical one as well. A shudder passed through his shoulders as he finds something unexpected. Something angry. Something evil.  
  
Unfortunately, there is one rule that stands true through out the universe. One rule that Goku is mortally ignorant of. No man should ever delve too deeply into his own heart. And especially not a Saiyajin.  
  
Goku reeled, as if hit by a blow, falling to the floor with his hands raised to clutch his throbbing head. Laughter rings in his mind. Laughter that sounds suspiciously like his own. Except it is a vile sound, nothing Goku could ever produce.  
  
[Who are you!?] Goku 'thinks' to himself. [What are you doing in my head!?]  
  
[How dare you!!!]  
  
[Nani!? What's going on!?]  
  
[I'm taking my body back!!]  
  
[Iie!! Dame da!! YAMEROOO!!!] Goku writhed in pain on the floor, his legs kicking wildly as he thrashed about. His mind feeling as if it were going to tear apart, Goku wrapped his hands around his head, trying vainly to ease the an eternity's worth of pain. Goku's tortured screams of anguish pierced the still of the night, echoing off the mountains and startling nearby the wildlife into immediate flight.  
  
"IIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
One day earlier...  
  
Goten let out a weighty sigh as he made his way down the front steps of the small movie theater, Paresu clinging to his left arm with an embarrassing death-grip. Goten's mind was more or less occupied with his father, who even now was alone to struggle through his disturbingly sudden and immense power-up. Squinted, [How can Paresu act so... carefree...?]  
  
"Soooo," the brunette began in a bouncy sort of voice. "How'd you like the movie, Goten-chan?"  
  
The young Saiyajin grimaced, blowing a spurt of air up over his lip to adjust a lock of raven that had fallen out of place. "It was boring," he said in a sour monotone. He made a point of studying a passing cloud.  
  
"Well poo-poo to you too! What's gotten into you lately?" Paresu slapped him roughly on the arm, for all the effect it had on the moody half-Saiyajin. "You're so bitter." An errant breeze whipped across the street, brushing against the clean, new buildings. Shouts could be heard from a construction site across the street.  
  
Goten rubbed the back of his head, yanking thoughtfully on his long, shaggy hair. Still looking up, "What do you _think_ it is? What else could possibly be worse than..."  
  
Paresu leaned into him to wrap her arms around his torso, hugging the half Saiyajin tightly. Unconsciously, Goten let his arms fall around her far narrower shoulders in a light embrace. "Don't beat yourself up about it," she murmured. "Goku-sama's tough. He can get through it."  
  
"I wish I could be so sure. You know him a lot better than me."  
  
After a pause, "I checked up on him a few days back."  
  
Goten's eyes brightened noticeably and he craned his neck to look down at his sort-of-girlfriend. "Honto ni? How was he?"  
  
Paresu made a face. "He told me to get lost." Noticing Goten's shock, "Well not in those _exact_ words!" she explained quickly. "He didn't seem very happy, but he did attempt a smile."  
  
"Small favors," Goten muttered. His mouth opened as if to speak, but he suddenly snapped to attention and dashed out of the girl's embrace.  
  
Paresu stumbled, but caught herself, spinning to the sound of a loud twang. Goten had run off to the construction site where a giant steel girder was hurtling towards a small crowd of workers. The Saiyajin barreled through a chain-link fence and leapt low over the ground to avoid a wide ditch.  
  
Realizing he wouldn't get there in time, Goten flared his ki and put on a quick burst of speed, stopping under the falling girder. Reaching up above those too frightened to move, Goten let the girder fall right into his hands. His knees buckled slightly and the foundation gave way, breaking into great slabs of concrete as the two ton mass of steel halted jarringly.  
  
Calmly, Goten weaved his way past the amazed men and set the girder down out of the way, the steel surface imprinted with the Saiyajin's hands. Workers crowded around the young man, smothering the reluctant hero with gratitude.  
  
Paresu groaned. Gracious people tend to repeat themselves and she realized it might be several hours before their date could resume. Dejectedly, Paresu dropped down to sit down on the steps of the theater. She rolled her eyes towards the heavens, elbows on knees and chin in hand.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Trunks hovered just outside the wide pavilion. He glanced into the ivory platform, waiting patiently for one of its inhabitants to notice him. The young half Saiyajin yawned into a hand, the thin air this high up making him feel a bit light-headed. The wind blew past, mussing his long lavender hair. After a moment, he drifted around to the side to the staircase leading from the pavilion to the interior of the tower. He peered into the dark portal, but to no avail.  
  
Now, it may have seemed childish in hindsight, but Trunks was growing annoyed, so he flew close to the dome and gave it a swift kick. As a result, the entire tower swayed, teetering precariously on the brink of collapse before slowly settling back into place.  
  
"Oi! What in Jigoku was that!?" called out a raspy voice from inside. A large white cat waddled out onto the small balcony, a gnarled wooden staff in his grip. "Who's out there!?"  
  
"It's me Karin-san," Trunks responded, floating into view. "I was just trying to get your attention."  
  
"Why didn't ya jus' _knock_?" the cat asked with a frown.  
  
"I thought that would be rude."  
  
Karin gave the Saiyajin a flat stare. Trunks at least had the decency to look sheepish and Karin was satisfied to let it be. "Don't sweat it, kiddo. Jus' knock next time, ya know? So, can I help you or what?"  
  
"Ah, I'm here to pick up some Senzu," Trunks answered.  
  
'Oh, oh, oh! That's right! I completely forgot. Well, c'mon in, kid. I got 'em in the kitchen."  
  
As Karin turned to reenter the tower, Trunks landed, falling in step behind his feline host. The inside was surprisingly cozy, the small kitchenette adorned in a warm, rustic fashion. Beyond was a den, the centerpiece of which was an entertainment center complete with a titanic wide-screen television.  
  
Karin crossed the room and set his staff aside, reaching up onto the table. He turned to face Trunks, throwing a small bag. The Saiyajin caught it easily and opened it, peeking at it's contents with a frown. "Not to complain, but there are only half a dozen in here," he said, stuffing it inside his belt.  
  
"Sorry 'bout that, kid. The weather's been lousy and the growing season was cut short. That's the best I could get for ya. Your just gonna have to make do for a few months until the Senzu plants are ready again."  
  
"Wakatta," Trunks responded, "I've almost finished making repairs to the regeneration tank, so we'll be okay. Sayonara, Karin-san." As the young man turned to leave, Karin rapped the butt of his staff on the floor. Looking back over his shoulder, Trunks arched an eyebrow inquiringly. "Hai? Something else?"  
  
"Have you noticed anything wrong recently?"  
  
Trunks grimaced, looking frighteningly like his father. "Take your pick," he offered. "Demo, how do you mean?"  
  
"Les'see, I've noticed a growing disturbance. The birds have stopped singing lately and the wind dies down, even way up here. You should probably be on alert. Something bad's goin' down. And real soon, too."  
  
Trunks nodded gravely, already suspecting the answer. "We've been preparing for this. When it comes, we'll be ready. I think perhaps you and Yajirobe-san should find some cover soon. This tower is rather vulnerable."  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it," Karin said, waving him off. "Yajirobe's got a place down south we can crash should it come to that. See ya 'round, kid. And watch you back!" he called after Trunks, who was just leaping out the door. The half- Saiyajin took a moment to get his bearings and headed home.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Exhausted, Goten shambled into his room and dropped down onto his futon in belly-flop completely lacking in grace. He burrowed his head under a pillow and groaned. "I don't know how long I can keep this up, Trunks-kun."  
  
"I'd help you out if I could, Goten-kun," Trunks replied, turning to face his friend from his seat at the desk. The vibrant white of the flourescent lamp bounced off the stack of papers and books and splashed across the room. Goten idly wondered why they didn't just get an overhead light for the entire room. "Demo, Paresu seems to have taken a shining to you."  
  
Paresu stopped in her tracks, the passing conversation having peaked her interest. Her route home had taken her past her boyfriend's room and she couldn't help eavesdropping. She eased against the wall and reached up on her tiptoes to get closer to the window. As a finishing touch, she pushed down her ki to insignificance, effectively rendering herself invisible. Craning her neck, Paresu cocked her head to move her ear closer.  
  
"If she takes me to see one more movie..." Goten began, but he was too tired to formulate an appropriate vow. "She's gonna be the death of me," he said sadly.  
  
"Gomen, but you know how important it is to keep an eye on her. She said it herself that something serious is going to happen soon. Karin-san confirmed it today. We can't risk a relapse." Paresu frowned. Apparently, Trunks still didn't really trust her.  
  
"Hai, hai. Demo, I still think tousan's gonna be the problem." Startled, Paresu bit back a gasp. How could he suspect his own father!?  
  
"I know what you're saying. Dakedo, we can't take any chances. Goku-san is more or less keeping himself in check as long as he's in isolation. All we can do now is wait."  
  
"And the longer we wait, the _worse_ it'll be when it happens," Goten said grimly.  
  
As the exchange drew to a close, Paresu backed away from the wall, deep in thought. Finding out she was a pawn her entire life had totally crushed her world and only her now true freedom helped sustain her. She had gripped the opportunity with vigor, but to think she was still under surveillance was unsettling to say the least. This was definitely food for thought.  
  
Paresu absently raised two fingers to her head and disappeared. A few meters back, hidden by the shade of the trees, Vegeta grunted. This was not an easy time for any of them. 


	25. Episode 25

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume IV -- Madness in the Heart  
  
Episode 25 -- Return of the Long Lost Saiyajin!! An Impossible Battle!!  
  
For some time, the Saiyajin no Ouji had been dwelling on one particular problem, its answer still eluding him. For hours at a time, Vegeta would stand stock still in the middle of training to think it over. It was during one of these sessions that Trunks entered the kitchen late that night.  
  
"Konbon wa, Papa," Trunks said. However, Vegeta had not noticed. The elder Saiyajin was sitting at, as opposed to on, the table, a mug of coffee in his grip. But he didn't drink the coffee, instead simply staring across the room at the far wall. All in all, it made for a bizarre scene. "Papa? Doshitano?"  
  
Vegeta didn't respond immediately. He took a sip of coffee, but spit it back in the mug in disgust. "This tastes like crap! How did she drink this every morning!? ...Eh? Oh, Trunks. What do you want?"  
  
It took a moment for Trunks to compose himself, surprised by his father's outburst. "Aaah, is something wrong?"  
  
"Hn? Nothing really," Vegeta responded, back to his usual self. "Just thinking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
Vegeta regarded his son for a moment, his jaw working as he mulled it over. Finally, he gave in with a shrug and leaned back. "You know how Super Saiyajin works, honto?"  
  
'Hai, it's fueled by strong emotions," Trunks began, taking a seat across from his father, "If one has enough power and a proper incentive." As and after thought, he added, "Though that must only be necessary the first time or two. I can usually do it with out thinking at all."  
  
"That's about what I've figured," Vegeta agreed. "I've realized by now that Super Saiyajin...is an accident."  
  
Intruiged, Trunks leaned over the table. "How's that!?"  
  
"The original Super Saiyajin could only maintain his power when in the Oozaru state. In essence, he was a big yellow monkey. Since we can't become Oozaru without our tails, we compensate with just our regular forms. So I figure the stronger a Super Saiyajin gets, the more like an Oozaru he is."  
  
"Like Goku-san. All that hair and the heavy brow make him appear rather feral, doesn't it? The more powerful a Super Saiyajin becomes, the more pronounced the qualities that make one a Saiyajin."  
  
A look of dawning insight spread across Vegeta's face and he snapped his fingers in triumph. "Yeah, that's it... That's what I've been missing..." The visage of success was short lived however, to be replaced by an angry scowl. "Kusooo... Wake up Goten!!" Vegeta ordered, dashing from the room.  
  
The elder Saiyajin was already out the door before Trunks could ask why, so he jumped to his feet and sprinted down the hall into the bedroom. He skidded to a halt next to Goten's futon, shaking his friend to wakefulness. "Goten-kun!! Mezameru!!"  
  
"Mm? Uh? Whaaa... w-what is it? What do ya want? It's early!" Goten grumbled, rubbing his eyes. He sat up in bed, yawning into a hand.  
  
"We've got trouble! Ikusho!" Trunks dumped Goten's blue gi on the younger Saiyajin's head. "Move it!!" As an after thought, Trunks' hand shot out to his sword hung from where it hung on a peg and snatched it up, slinging the weapon over his shoulder in one smooth motion as he sprinted back down the hall.  
  
Irritated but effectively roused, Goten rolled out of bed and quickly dressed, hopping down the hall as he struggled into his boots. He paused by the bathroom to splash water on his face before flying the rest out the way outside, following Trunks. In the yard, Vegeta was tapping his foot impatiently.  
  
"It's about time!" he barked, dressed in traditional Saiyajin battle gear. He threw each of the two their own fighting jackets and shot off into the sky.  
  
"What's going on!?" Goten demanded, slipping his armor over his gi.  
  
"Don't know!" Trunks said, already in the air. "Tousan'll explain!"  
  
Goten hurried to catch up, flying up on Vegeta's left. "Oi! Jisan!" he called over the rush of the wind, "What's up!?"  
  
"I know what's wrong with Kakarotto! Or rather, what's _not_ wrong anymore! If I'm right..." But he trailed off.  
  
The three lapsed into silence. Goten as stunned by Vegeta's attitude. He guessed this wasn't the best time for asking questions, so settled for an agonizing quiet. [This is getting old _real_ fast,] he thought.  
  
The stars were still out, but Goten could already see the steel grey light of the false dawn at the horizon ahead. The thin wispy clouds reached out like skeletal hands across the horizon. Goten couldn't help but think it was a sign. The central plains stretched out below them, a seemingly endless field of untainted prairie. Bit by bit, sparse patches of forest popped up here and there, coalescing into a greater wilderness. Finally, the familiar peaks of the Paozu mountains edged into view.  
  
Prepared to follow Vegeta's landing, Goten was surprised when they passed by the Son House and guessed his father was at the tiny woodland pagoda instead. As if guided by his thoughts, they had arrived above the small home, but they stopped several meters over the clearing. Goten looked over to his companions. Vegeta was upset, furious even, his fists clenched and shaking at his sides. Typically, Trunks was the embodiment of composure, apparently lost in thought.  
  
Slowly, a figure emerged from the house, his orange gi a bit scuffed and dusty. Goku looked up, analyzing the three hovering Saiyajin with that eerie emerald gaze. Goten could tell right away that something about his father was definitely amiss, and his doubt was confirmed by Goku's smile. It wasn't the Saiyajin's normally friendly grin, but a grim, aggressive sneer.  
  
Arms crossed in front of his chest, Goku rose into the air. {Ah, Oujisama. How do you do?} he asked in an alien tongue. Having previously heard Vegeta swear in the same language, Goten assumed it was Saiyago.  
  
Vegeta drifted ahead of the two younger Saiyajin, his bearing decidedly regal. {Greetings, Kakarotto. I never guessed this day would come.}  
  
{You're a fool, Vegeta,} Kakarotto said with a chuckle, {And only a fool wouldn't anticipate his own demise.}  
  
{Do not make the mistake of threatening _me_,} Vegeta retorted, {You'll find I'm not so easy to kill.}  
  
Kakarotto threw his head back with a sharp bark of laughter. {With my power? Crushing you would be all too easy for me, my prince. Admit it: you're out of your league. When you're dead, I'll claim command of the Saiyajin.}  
  
Now it was Vegeta's turn to laugh, {Ha! A would-be king with no empire? You know as well as I that we are a dying race. Our offspring would not stand for your command.}  
  
{Then they too will die. I have no use for worthless half-breeds,} Kakarotto declared, spitting his contempt.  
  
"Then at least have the decency to speak Chikyuugo. The pups deserve to know why they are going to die," Vegeta said with heavy sarcasm. In response, Goten and Trunks drew back into hasty and confused fighting stances.  
  
"So be it, my prince. As your successor, I feel it is my duty to fulfill your final wish." With that, Kakarotto launched into his attack, rushing the three. Leaping between them, he swung punches and kicks not so much to hit, but to drive them apart.  
  
Vegeta and Trunks each blasted into Super Saiyajin, the later drawing his sword in a wide arc aimed at chest level. Kakarotto caught it between two fingers and flicked his wrist, flipping the blade from Trunks' grip to spiral uselessly into the forest below. Vegeta flew in with a kick to the mid section, but missed and used his momentum for a two-fisted swing. The mad Saiyajin dodged and attacked with a whirlwind of blows, trading hits with father and son both.  
  
Goten hesitated, unwilling to strike his father in serious combat. He took a heavy blow early on and back-peddled to avoid the fight. Shaking his head in denile, [Iie, I-I can't... tousan...] An errant breeze wrapped around him, bringing with it a strange whispering sound. It took Goten a moment to realize that someone was whispering to him.  
  
[Go... ten... Goten... Goten!]  
  
[Tousan!?!?]  
  
[Goten, you have to fight!]  
  
[I can't! I can't fight you!]  
  
[It's not me! It's Kakarotto! He stole my body!]  
  
[But what if --]  
  
[Goten, if he dies, I'll be free! I'm trapped inside now and I can't stop him! It's up to you!]  
  
[Iie!! I can't! I won't...]  
  
[Kuso, Goten!! You have to! Do it!! I can't...las...uch lo...ger...]  
  
[Tousan?...Tousan!?...Tousan!!!] Goten could feel his rage swelling, building up in his heart. "Yarou!!!" he roared, enraged by Kakarotto's intrusion. "This is for you... tousan!!!" Goten rocketed forward, blasting into Super Saiyajin and smashing his shoulder into Kakarotto's back. He immediately recovered, striking furiously at the demented Saiyajin in his father's body.  
  
Kakarotto flipped and delivered a scissor kick to knock Goten away, then elbowed Trunks in the face and used his momentum to spin and catch Vegeta with a right cross. He whipped his fist back to strike Trunks again and raised his other hand to fire ki blast in Vegeta's face. A split second ahead, Goten fired at Kakarotto's back, blowing him away.  
  
Kakarotto rolled with the blow, turning to fire a volley of ki bolts. Vegeta returned fire, the two darting and weaving in the air. Meanwhile, Goten and Trunks avoided the crossfire to close in on Kakarotto's sides in a well-practiced pincer attack. The older Saiyajin easily defended himself, but was caught off guard as Vegeta flew in and plowed into his chest with a drop kick. Kakarotto bounced off of a nearby mountain and his three opponents engulfed the area in a hail of ki bolts.  
  
"Forgetting something?" 


	26. Episode 26

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume IV -- Madness in the Heart  
  
Episode 26 -- Fight Your Father, Goten!! Is the Mad Saiyajin Unstoppable!?  
  
"Forgetting something?" Kakarotto asked from behind them, lowering two fingers from his forehead. His fist lanced out and buried in Vegeta's kidney and flipped, kicking the Saiyajin no Ouji into the ground far below. His feet whipped around, catching Goten and Trunks in a double roundhouse, then flew down to intercept Vegeta. The older Saiyajin was trying to run and buy himself time for a recovery from the painful blow when Kakarotto dashed after him gleefully, the rock tearing beneath his feet.  
  
"JUU-BAI KOUGEKI!!!" Goten roared, firing ten beams down at his target. Kakarotto looked up just in time to see the attack bearing down on him before being trapped in the resulting explosion. Quickly, he shot up out of the rubble and struck at Goten, engaging in a dance of fists and feet.  
  
Off to the side, Trunks weaved a pattern in the air and thrust his hands forward, forming a diamond with his thumbs and forefingers. "BURNING ATTACK!!!" The blue bolt of ki tore across the sky, but Kakarotto smacked it away. Fortunately, it distracted him long enough for Vegeta to close in.  
  
"FINAL FLASH!!!" Vegeta declared, letting fly the ki blast to wash over Kakarotto's body with wicked ferocity. Kakarotto's body spun with the explosion, sending him spiraling away, but suddenly, he disappeared. "Nani!? Kuso!!" Vegeta whirled, looking directly at Kakarotto.  
  
The mad Saiyajin thrust his hands forward and created a giant ki ball amidst the three. They barely had time to block as it detonated, blowing them away and into the surrounding mountains. Vegeta bounced back immediately, rushing in with a kidney punch. Kakarotto easily caught the blow, then seized the elder Saiyajin's other fist to stop a right cross. Vegeta used the leverage to draw his feet up and kick the younger Saiyajin in the chest with enough force to push him into the ground far below, then flew down to meet his foe.  
  
Kakarotto rolled to his feet and dashed after Vegeta, but was stopped in his tracks as Trunks landed on his shoulder. Kakarotto stumbled and Trunks aimed another kick, but the former caught it. Kakarotto gave the foot a sharp twist, but Trunks used the momentum to spin out of his grasp and kick him again in the head. With cat-like grace, Trunks landed and swept Kakarotto's feet out from under him, but the older Saiyajin landed on his hands and back-flipped away.  
  
Goten fell from the air, smashing his elbow between Kakarotto's shoulder blades, then fired a ki blast at his back. The latter drifted in the air for a moment, long enough for Vegeta to clothesline him, leading him head-first through the peak of a mountain. Kakarotto placed his hand against Vegeta's stomach and fired a ki bolt at point-blank range, shattering armor and burning flesh. Stunned, Vegeta froze and Kakarotto grabbed the front of his princes' body suit, holding him at arms' length.  
  
"I really must commend you, my prince," he complimented, ignoring the spatter of blood coughed up on his hand. "You've trained those half-breeds well and you were far more trouble than I thought you'd be." His smirk faded. "Too bad it must end so soon."  
  
Kakarotto tossed Vegeta away and aimed a ki bolt with the same hand and was about to fire when Goten tackled him, deflecting the shot. Kakarotto caught his attacker in the chin with his elbow, then backhanded him viciously. Out of the blue, Trunks rocketed towards the two with a shoulder smash that sent Kakarotto careening into the forest below.  
  
Trunks reached out and steadied his friend. "Goten-kun, maybe you should head back."  
  
"Iie," Goten refused, wiping a trickle of blood from his chin. "You're gonna need my help." Goten looked over his shoulder, making sure Vegeta had recovered. The Saiyajin no Ouji nodded his acknowledgment, hunched over to catch his breath.  
  
Meanwhile, Kakarotto reached out and grabbed the tree branches whizzing past him to help control his momentum. He landed on a thick trunk and jumped up past the canopy, into the air.  
  
"Besides," Goten continued, "Tousan told me the only way to help is to kill Kakarotto."  
  
"Nani!? How did he tell you that!?" Trunks demanded, bewildered.  
  
"He spoke to me, up here," he explained, tapping his temple. "I don't know how he did it, but he's still alive, just too weak to stop Kakarotto."  
  
Trunks turned around. "Hn! Speak of the devil..." He drew back into a fighting stance to prepare for the attack. "Ikusho!"  
  
Goten and Trunks shot forward to meet their foe, attacking simultaneously. Goku could have easily held his own against the onslaught, but Kakarotto was hard-pressed to keep up. Each blow was coordinated to strike in rapid secession, not a fraction of a second passing between punch or kick. Drawing on Goku's experience, Kakarotto drew back into a purely defensive position, soaking up blows. He waited, analyzing the complex pattern of attacks for an opening. Each hit rocked his body with a burst of pain, but he was patient.  
  
It seemed like forever, but finally, he saw his chance. As Trunks circled around his back, Kakarotto flipped and kneed Goten in the chin, then kicked Trunks in the face and levelled out to fire a ki blast at each. Vegeta flew down and threw a punch, but Kakrotto sidestepped it, chopping at the older Saiyajin's neck. Vegeta wasn't stunned for long and retailated with a spinning backhand. Kakarotto caught it and wrapped his arm around Vegeta's, locking him in place. Laughing madly, Kakarotto pounded away at Vegeta's chest, crushing armor and fracturing ribs with every punch.  
  
Gritting his teeth, Vegeta jerked away and dislocated his shoulder, his good arm lancing out to strike Kakarotto's jaw with a force born in desparation. The younger Saiyajin's head snapped to the side, giving his elder the chance to attack. Thrusting one hand forward, palm out, "BIG BANG ATTACK!!!" The shining blue explosion lit up the sky, casting dark shadows across the mountains and trees. Too dazed by pain to guide his flight, Vegeta simply released his ki and dropped like a rock.  
  
Having apparently lapsed into unconsiousness, Vegeta was awakened upon bone-jarring impact with the ground. At first he just layed there, not caring about the small stream washing over his body or the stone digging into the small of his back. Reaching across, he grabbed his arm and forced it back into its socket and a sharp pain ran across his shoulders, up his neck, and into his head. He cringed for a moment, then groaned and rolled over, splashing his face in the stream. Exhausted, Vegeta watched as his blood mingled with the water, rivulets of crimson mixing and fading into the crystal liquid. He eventually became aware of the sounds of combat above him. With a sigh, Vegeta attempted to rise to his feet and do battle again.  
  
Far above, Trunks backpeddled in the air, craddling his arm. He was sure blocking that last punch had fractured the bone. He watched as again and again, Goten hurled comets of ki about, franticly trying to hit a considerably more manueverable Kakarotto. [Kuso... He's just wasting his energy...]  
  
Some distance away, Goten was having the same thought. [N-not good! I can't keep this up forever!] "Yamero! Stand still, baka!!" Pumping his ki up as far as it would go, Goten filled the air with a fire storm of ki bolts.  
  
Kakarotto used the Shunkan Idou to teleport behind Goten, but the younger Saiyajin was ready, spinning with a kick. The former ducked, then grabbed Goten's arm, twisting it behind his back. He then reached around and put Goten in a half-nelson. "Give it up, ki'koug ta!" Kakarotto hissed into Goten's ear. His captive struggled valiently, but could not escape. "Surrender now and I guarantee a quick death!"  
  
"Bakana!" Goten spat. "KisaMAAA!!!" Goten flared his ki, the golden aura of a Super Saiyajin flashing out in a whirlwind of fire and electricity. At this range, the heat was just too much to bear and Kakarotto was forced to back off considerably. Goten spun to glare at his father's oppressor. "Kanarazu!!!"  
  
[There's more Saiyajin in this one than I guessed. Such a waste to kill him.] Kakarotto rushed in to meet his younger prey head-on, the two clashing in a flurry of punches and kicks. Goten was matching Kakarotto move for move, but his wounds began to take their toll while his foe showed no signs of slowing.  
  
Just as Goten was getting winded, Trunks jumped back into the fray. While the extra muscle certainly was a blessing, the latter too was handicapped, favoring his left arm. Kakarotto blocked Goten's punch and smashed him on the side of the head with a stunning blow, then seized Trunks' injured arm, squeezing mercilessly. He kneed Trunks in the chest, breaking through the armor, then turned and chopped down at Goten's neck, snapping the youngest Saiyajin's collar bone in two.  
  
Kakarotto hauled on Trunks' arm and threw him into Goten, sending them crashing into the ground. They each bounced once, dropping out of Super Saiyajin on impact. Fortunately, they were concealed by the trees and Kakarotto had lost track of them for the time being.  
  
Trunks' eyes glazed over in endless pain. His sternum was cracked and a broken rib had punctured a lung. He rolled over, blood erupting from his mouth to seep into the cold, unforgiving ground. Every breath was a ragged struggle rewarded with a fiery stab of anguish. His awareness fading in and out, Trunks fought to stay conscious.  
  
Not three feet away, Goten rose to his hands and knees, lightheaded from a loss of blood due to the long gash on his forehead. He wiped the blood from his eyes and looked around with blurred vision for Trunks. Seeing his friend a prone lump just to the side, Goten crawled over to him. "Oi, Trunks-kun..."  
  
The lavender-haired Saiyajin's eyes focused in a moment of recognition. "G-go...ten..." He tried to sit up, but fell back with a blood laced cough.  
  
"Iie, Trunks-kun. Stay down, you can't fight." Goten stood, staggering slightly. He looked up past the trees, shading his eyes from the sun with a hand. Kakarotto was a speck in the distance, searching for his victims. [Muda, I'm too weak to beat that bakemono... Trunks-kun's out of commission and Kami knows what happened to Vegeta-san...] His voice deathly quiet, "It's up to me..."  
  
Without another word, Goten stepped back into a fighting stance, cupping his hands over each other at his side. Concentrating, the last of his ki manifested into a sparkling blue light. "Kaaaa... meeee..."  
  
A sudden blue glow sprang to life in the trees, peeking out between the foliage. Kakarotto's eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on his target. He shot down into the forest and as he neared, he could hear Goten calling up his attack.  
  
"Haaaa... meeee..." Goten's weary muscles bunched as he fought to gather power, enough at least to let him escape with his friends. All of a sudden, Kakarotto burst through the trees, flying towards Goten full-tilt. The mad Saiyajin covered the distance in seconds, now mere meters from Goten. Forced to use what little power he has, Goten fired the ki beam, "Haaaaa!!!"  
  
Kakarotto didn't even attempt to dodge, taking the full force of the attack head-on. The explosion kicked up a heavy cloud of dust, obscuring the area, and Goten fanned the air in front of him to get a clear view. Without warning, a hand darted out from the dust to close around Goten's head in a vicious grip. When the dust settled, Kakarotto was revealed to be holding Goten at arm's length over a foot off the ground. His face was contorted with seething fury as he spoke, "Kzan'na timodo! Yo nadika!!"  
  
Kakarotto reached forward with his other hand Goten's shoulder, crushing flesh and bone in his grip. The young Saiyajin's cry of torment was long and shrill, rising an octave higher with each merciless clench. Finally, Kakarotto withdrew his bloody hand, pulling it back to wind up for the final blow.  
  
A sharp whirring noise cut the silent air, growing louder every moment. Quick as a whip, Kakarotto's hand reversed direction and caught a blue disc of ki, holding it a hair's breadth away from his palm. Running out from between the trees, Vegeta flared a plain white aura, challenging Kakarotto despite the inability to go Super Saiyajin. In that moment of distraction, Goten kicked Kakarotto in the stomach with enough force to knock the wind out of him.  
  
Reflexively, Kakarotto let go of both Goten and the kienzan, having to stumble back to avoid being sheared in half by the latter. Using this to his advantage, Vegeta dashed in to again trading blows with his foe. Goten was only vaguely aware of this happening as he dropped to the ground, torn and bleeding. He slowly got to his feet, flinching as the weight of his own arm put pressure on the wound. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Trunks sit up and lean back against a tree, raising one arm weakly.  
  
Reeling from a shot to the jaw, Kakarotto staggered back and Vegeta ran in with a drop kick. Losing his balance, Kakarotto fell back, about to land on Trunks. But, the younger Saiyajin's hand did not waver, supporting his enemy with the flat of his palm in his back. Gathering his remaining strength, Trunks shouted his defiance, "BIG BANG ATTACK!!!"  
  
The blue beam of energy wasn't enough to kill Kakarotto, but it did push him well into the air with the explosion. He levelled out in the air, shaking his head to clear the ringing. As he turned, Kakarotto was furious to see the three other Saiyajin rise into the air, assuming haggard battle stances. Speaking for the three, Vegeta rasied his voice, "You see what I mean, bakayaro? We'll _never_ give in to you!" After a pause, "Che..regao'sou!"  
  
Enraged, "Enough of this. I've underestimated you before, but now I'll kill you all! Witness the _full_ extent of my POWER!!!" His voice shattering the air, Kakarotto released his reserves, his power jumping to unbelievable heights and beyond. The air whipped around them in gale force winds and lighting filled the sky. Like the end of the world, the storms clouds gathered and circled around Kakarotto's position, a dark void visible in the center.  
  
Goten sheilded himself as best he could, shocked and amazed at this display of power. Such abilities should be unattainable by any mortal man, but here Kakarotto was, bending time and space itself into a warped explosion of light and color.  
  
And then, there was nothing... 


	27. Episode 27

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume IV -- Madness in the Heart  
  
Episode 27 -- A Bright Flare in the Night Sky!! Visitors from Another Time!!  
  
In the middle of the Central Continent, north of the Paozu mountains, lay a wide open plains land. Here, giant pillars of stone rise from the otherwise flat terrain like the jagged teeth of the carnivorous saurians that call this place home. It is also here that the Namek-seijin named Piccolo, one of only two that in habit Chikyuu, trains in privacy. Often using the very landscape for target practice, he works consistently towards the goal of greater strength.  
  
Atop a high peak, Piccolo sits in meditation. His vigil of self is constant, as he searches for new veins of power within himself that me may tap into. Hovering just above the ground, the cool night breeze lifts his white as snow cape behind him. It dances in the wind with a grace that starkly contrasts the rigid stoicism of his face and posture. Although it is a clear night, the light of the stars alone is insufficient to make the Namek-seijin visible more than a dozen feet away, let alone from the top of a hundred foot rock outcropping.  
  
The soft, repetitive chirp of crickets are easily heard on this calm night, but they do not disturb the warrior's meditation. Indeed, nothing short of the planet exploding could disturb him unless he willed himself into action. But tonight, his attention will be demanded by a power greater than his own.  
  
Even deep in his concentration, there seemed to be something disturbing the Namek-seijin. It was a twinge in the back of his mind, a frightening and malicious apparition of immense strength. He tried to identify it, but the source of his anxieties always skittered at the edge of his senses, yet growing stronger all the while. A trickle of sweat rolled down his furrowed brow and the warrior's narrow eyes shot open. Piccolo jumped to his feet and looked to the heavens just in time to see it.  
  
Brighter than the sun and no more than fifty feet above the ground, a flash of gold appeared out of nowhere, casting a shadowless radiance for miles around. It was accompanied by a terrific crackling din, sounding like a feral roar and some kind of divine thunder at the same time. So great was it's magnitude that Piccolo was struck blind and deaf for several agonizing minutes. The Namek-seijin reeled as his sense returned to him far too slowly than he would have preferred. Steadying himself, the warrior launched into the air with a muttered oath as he searched frantically for the source of the phenomenon.  
  
As Piccolo flew, the landscape below gradually changed to dense forest, the trees seeming to sprout up suddenly beneath him in his haste. In time, the warrior came upon an unnatural clearing in the woods. Unnatural because trees had been uprooted and flung about while the ground was scorched black, crackling and steaming with heat.  
  
"Kuso!" Piccolo swore, scanning the area for whatever caused this. He reached out with his ki and couldn't even detect any animals. Then all of a sudden, an enormous power jumped up behind him and muscular arms covered in coarse blond fur wrapped around the Namek-seijin's neck in a sleeper hold. Piccolo tensed up and gripped his assailants fury arms futily, unable to escape. The alien warrior struggled to turn his head enough to get a look at his attacker, but after a moment, the mystery man craned his neck forward. As the man looked past his prey at the forest below, Piccolo stared at his face in disbelief. The features were sharper and smudged with blood, but the Namek- seijin recognized him easily. "S-s...Son!?"  
  
After a short silence the man that looked so much like Son Goku glanced sidelong at the warrior in his grasp. Emerald eyes focused on the squirming Namek-seijin, burning with the fire of madness. "I see now...this isn't the world I knew. There are many large powers here...far too many... Be this another time or demension, it matters not to me." The man gave a wicked grin. "I shall have such fun crushing them all! Hahaha! Ah, but first..." The mad Super Saiyajin leaned back and twisted his arms, snapping his prey's neck. He let the limp body drop and with a single blast of ki, vaporized Piccolo entirely. "Now that you're gone, there will be no dragon balls," the man commented. Allowing himself a short chuckle, Kakarotto disappeared into the night.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Gohan shot up in bed, suddenly startled. He thought he had heard Piccolo's voice screaming silently in the back of his mind, but the half-Saiyajin could not sense his mentor's ki. He might have gotten up then and there to look around, but a soft murmuring at his side brought the young man back to attention.  
  
Laying back down, Videl snuggled up to his side and the warmth of her nude body banished any fear from Gohan's thoughts. The half-Saiyajin wrapped his arms around the young woman and rolled onto his back, gladly accepting the kiss she offered. After their lips parted, Videl licked her way over his face while Gohan's hands roamed the gentle curves of her backside. "What was that all about?" she whispered into his ear, a note of concern in her adoring voice.  
  
Gohan would have shrugged, but pulled the girl's hips closer to his own. "I'm not sure...it's probably nothing," he replied softly. Carefully pressing himself against her, he smiled at Videl's reaction: a faint gasp and a little moan. The two lovers met in another kiss. [Probably nothing...]  
  
~~~~~  
  
Son Goten flew through the air, but not under his own power. Tumbling endlessly, the young half-Saiyajin was unable to control himself as he cut through some unseen forest. Hurled away but Kakarotto's explosive power, the teen was sent careening away and didn't stop until he rebounded against a steep cliff that refused to break. With his body left weak, bleeding, and numb from the battle, Goten didn't feel the jarring impact or the pile of snow that buried him.  
  
After a time--the span of which he had no idea--the young man struggled up out of the snow, prompted by the freezing cold and a lack of oxygen. His muscles ached and burned with each movement, but a desire to survive kept the teen pushing forward. Shoving aside the last mound of wet, crisp snow, the half-Saiyajin finally emerged from the mound and tumbled down its side. By chance, Goten landed on his feet and used the momentum to start walking, not knowing or caring where he was headed. He just had to get out of there, go anywhere, get help. Goten staggered blindly, nothing but flares of light and deep shadows dominating his vision. Hearing seemed to have no meaning, a jumble of sounds around him and in his head. Exhausted physically and mentally, his consciousness began to wane, then finally ceasing altogether as he passed out. [Tousan...]  
  
The unconscious youth was unaware of the gathering around him and would have met his rescuers had he lasted just a minute longer. Citizens of a nearby mountain village had been out hunting when the half-Saiyajin struck the cliff side and began searching for the cause of the resulting tremor. Just as Goten collapsed, the first of the hunters--a young bear-man named Kumato--walked out from behind a fir tree and saw the teen's body. Kumato immediately called the other hunters over and they marveled at their find. They covered the young warrior's mangled body with animal skins and loaded him onto a sled. Another snowstorm was just beginning when the hunters returned to the warm lights of the village, their wives running out to greet the shaken troupe.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Suzuka Takehashi grumbled as she drove down West Capital's dark, almost abandoned suburb streets. She was just getting home far later than usual, because an enormous flash in the sky hours before had put Capsule Corporation security on alert. None of the day shift employees were allowed to leave until a thorough investigation was conducted and now they were closing down to run scans of the computer database. Apparently, they had recorded some anomalous activity recently and the light made them nervous that it was a result of stolen technology. President Briefs had been anxious to ensure there were no security breaches and she herself was over-seeing the diagnostic scan. To top it all off, Suzuka emerged from the administrative dome at 2 p.m. to find that someone had dinged the driver side door to her new sports car. All in all, it was a pretty crummy day and the young business woman wanted nothing more than to flop onto a soft bed and sleep the weekend away.  
  
But fate apparently had a sense of cruelty, because she was destined for a restless night. Turning a corner a bit too fast, Suzuka had to slam on the brakes when she saw a short man standing in the middle of the road. The tires screeched in protest and it was too late as she crashed into the person. But instead of running him over or knocking him aside, the front end of Suzuka's car crumpled in the collision with the man and spun off the road. There was a horrible sound of metal against asphalt and the once shiny red convertible stopped only after backing into a telephone pole. The front end had been completely caved in and the wheels had snapped off during the skid. Fortunately, the state-of-the-art air bag system had saved Suzuka from any harm and she scrambled out of her car, fearing an explosion. She even ducked behind a thick hedge, but it never came. Standing up to find some drowsy residents running out of their homes, the young woman turned to see just what she had hit.  
  
Indeed it was a man, short and wide with a muscular build. He was hunched over, wavering ever so slightly as limp arms hung at his sides, legs shaking. He obviously just came from some kind of accident, as such the his entire body was bruised and bleeding. Tight blue pants were cut and torn, white gloves and boots tattered beyond repair, and some kind of hard white vest fell off in chunks. The street was literally ripped open in a path behind him and the beaten man staggered onward, heedless of the residents that ran up. Suzuka stared in wonder at the wounded individual. Or more particularly, at his hair. It was swept back in a crown of long black spikes with a widows peak that looked to deep to be human.  
  
"Is that who I think it is?" someone next to Suzuka said. It was Christopher Brown, a young clerk who worked in the Capsule Corp outlet store. Apparently, he too lived in the area. "Oh, sumimasen! Are you all right, Ms. Takehashi?"  
  
"Hai...fine," Suzuka replied, oddly calm. She never had been the sort to get hysterical. "And yes, I think that _is_ Mr. Vegeta!" While he wasn't quite a regular sight at the compound, some people occasionally saw the eternally grumpy man arguing with President Briefs or heading towards a restricted area in the back. Judging by his looks, Vegeta was the father of President Briefs' son Trunks, but rumor says they never married. Few people talked of Vegeta and even fewer talked to him, fearing his short temper and bizarre strength. "It is him, I'm certain!"  
  
The two employees ran up to him and Suzuka dared to reach out, but the slightest touch seemed to topple him. Vegeta fell to his knees, gasping in short, wet-sounding breathes. The woman recoiled when she saw a fountain of blood erupt from his mouth. "We have to get him to a hospital!" Chris said, beginning to panic.  
  
"Iie!" Suzuka disagreed. "Don't you see? First that flash and the delays and now this? Something's up, something's not right. I need to use your car, Mr. Brown. I'll take him to the infirmary at Capsule Corp, you get everyone calmed down. Are you listening to me!? Go!" In a matter of minutes, Suzuka had loaded their boss' consort into Chris' car and took off, hurrying back to work while the young man tried to coax his neighbors back into their homes. [Kami, there goes my sleep!] she thought with a sigh.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Pafu pafu," Muten Roshi murmured. Sleeping in a lawn chair under a palm tree, the turtle hermit rolled over so that his Sukebe magazine fell to the sandy ground. A brisk wind swept over the small island, flipping the pages of scantily clad women.  
  
Standing on the porch of Kame House, Juuhachi-gou leaned against a post with a tall glass of lemonade in hand. "Ecchi," she muttered in disgust. She turned back to watching her five year old daughter Marron, who was engrossed in playing with Umigame. The jinzouningen took a sip of the cool, slightly tart drink when she suddenly had a thought. She stepped inside the house and leaned over the couch, staring down at Kuririn as the short man flipped through a martial arts periodical. Off to the side, Oolong and Pu'ar argued heatedly over what to watch on television. "_When_ are we moving out?" Juuhachi-gou demanded, taking away her husband's magazine.  
  
Kuririn looked up at the woman in surprise, blinking with big, round eyes. He started to sweat, twiddling his fingers. "Ah, anou....you see, it's like this..." he stuttered.  
  
Juuhachi-gou was about to rebuke the ex-monk for his laziness when an ear-piercing shriek cut her off. Both husband and wife dashed outside, an old fear running through their veins. Even Kame-sen'nin had been roused from slumber, blinking with confusion in the bright morning sun.  
  
Down at the shore, the big sea turtle was slowly carrying Marron on his back while the young blond cried her eyes out. As Umigame crawled up the sandy shore, a surf of pale red splashed at his shell. Juuhachi-gou quickly picked up her daughter, holding the wailing child close, while Kuririn found what had scared her so.  
  
What at first glance appeared to be no more than a mass of flotsam and seaweed, closer inspection revealed it was in fact a young man. He was shivering from the cold sea water and its salt in his wounds, which bleed enough to tint the incoming tide. Kuririn quickly picked away the seaweed that clung to the wounded teen and instantly identified him by his lavender hair and scowling face. "It's Trunks!"  
  
"Nani!? Bulma's son!?" Juuhachi-gou asked, amazed. How could this young man be the Briefs girl's child?  
  
"Iie, the other one!" Kuririn replied, helping the barely conscious youth to his knees. "It's the one from the future! You broke his sword, remember?" While he talked, Roshi came over and the two men carried the half-Saiyajin into Kame House.  
  
After Marron had calmed down, her mother left her with the two shape shifters. After cleaning and dressing the teen's wounds, they wrapped him in blankets to ward off the sea's chill. Juuhachi-gou studied Trunks' pained face, and thought something was odd. "Demo, are you sure this is the same one?" the jinzouningen inquired. "I thought he was older than that..."  
  
After a moment, Kuririn too realized that Trunks appeared strangely young. The one that returned home after Cell's defeat was a man of eighteen, but this one's youthful face looked more like the Mirai Trunks that first arrived. When he had been with them preparing for the Cell Game, the time Mirai Traunks spent in the Seishin to Toki no Heya proved that two years could make a difference for the lavender-haired teen. "You're right, I think he _is_ younger!" Kuririn marveled. The formerly bald man ran a hand through his thick crop of hair. "I got a bad feeling about this," he groaned. "I better call Bulma."  
  
Roshi, who had already grabbed the phone, waved Kuririn off. He held the receiver to his ear for a moment, then sighed and set it back down. "I can't get through. There's just a recording saying they're having technical difficulties."  
  
"We could call Goku; he should know about this too," Kuririn suggested.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The Son Goku of this time touched down in the 'front yard' of his woodland home. The high-noon sun beat down on his weary shoulders with an unusual heat for early Spring and he trudged up to the front door. His very body language spoke of fatigue, having spent nearly ten hours looking for any signs of what caused last night's unexpected flash. Goku was up and about as soon as the flash died down, getting there only minutes after Piccolo, though the Saiyajin didn't know that. Aside the from the odd forest clearing, he found two faint residual ki signatures. The Namek-seijin's and another, stronger one that felt very evil. A wide crater in the ground and some torn purple scraps of cloth led the grief-stricken warrior to believe Piccolo was dead. Unfortunately--but unbeknownst to him--he was right.  
  
Goku shuffled in the front door, his mind spinning with questions. What caused the flash? Was Piccolo really dead? How could someone do it so quickly? What was the source of the dark ki that made his spine tingle like no other? Only Furiiza himself had caused such a reaction in the human-raised Saiyajin, and Goku didn't want to think about what that implied. The warrior shook those thoughts from his head, noticing his wife sitting at the table.  
  
Chichi was leaning forwards in her chair and her soft features were scrunched a bit in concern, her fingers working anxiously along the cord of the telephone. She didn't even see Goku walk in, finally acknowledging him with a small, sad smile when he put a hand on her shoulder. The Saiyajin pulled up a chair beside his wife, waiting patiently. "Yes, thank you, Kuririn-sa," the woman said at last. "We appreciate the call, I'm sure he'll be dow--......oh, I see.... He can meet you on the way? I understand, you hurry up and get him some help. Alright, bye." Chichi hung up the receiver and sighed.  
  
"That was Kuririn? What's the matter?" Goku asked.  
  
Chichi took a deep breath, disturbed by the news. "Not long ago, Kuririn-sa and Juuhachi-gou-sa found...Trunks washed up on the beach... He was badly injured and they think he might have something to do with the flash of light last night."  
  
"Trunks!?" Goku echoed. "What coulda happen'd to little Trunks!? Does Bulma know!?"  
  
"No, they're taking him to Capsule Corp right now. Demo...it's not _that_ Trunks. Kuririn-sa said it was the other Trunks, the one from the future. But there was something wrong, like he looked too young..."  
  
Goku punched a fist into his palm. "Kuso! This is makes things even worse!"  
  
The woman gave her husband a worried look. "You didn't find anything?"  
  
"Worse," he replied, holding up the purple rags. "I think Piccolo is dead. And whoever did it is still runnin' around out there somewhere. I gotta go talk to the gang, this could get bad. Real bad... When Goten wakes up, tell him not to leave the house or let his power show. Jus' to be sure..."  
  
"Hai...please be careful, Goku-sa," Chichi said, giving her husband what she feared would be their last embrace. "It's been...so nice these past two years, I don't want to lose you again..." The woman trailed off again, starting to cry. Goku kissed her gently on the cheek, giving her his warmest smile. He winked, then put two fingers to his forehead and disappeared. 


	28. Episode 28

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume IV -- Madness in the Heart  
  
Episode 28 -- Gathering of the Dark Soldiers!! The Sad Tale Is Revealed!!  
  
Vegeta stirred. Pain wracked his body that would drive a lesser man mad, but it was nothing the Saiyajin no Ouji couldn't endure. He had felt far worse and was more concerned with his surroundings. Even though he was only barely conscious, the Saiyajin could feel a soft, cool fabric beneath him and another laying across his prone body. He felt clean and small restrictions of his movement--the little he dared to move--lead Vegeta to believe someone had bandaged his wounds. With blurred vision, all he could see was a white tiled ceiling, and his sense of smell told him little more. Though ordinarily very acute--as all Saiyajin's were--he was only faintly aware of another person in the room, wherever he was. A woman, or so it seemed, with a scent the prince thought he should know very well.  
  
There was an electronic-sounding click and Vegeta clearly heard a man's voice rise in volume. "At approximately 2:14 a.m. last night, an eerie yellow light filled the sky just south of the Central Plains region. As of yet, it remains unidentified and scientists from around the world are--"  
  
*click*  
  
"--an see behind me that a special research team has gathered here at ground zero. While they have found nothing conclusive yet, there is reportedly a low, but harmless level of thermal radiation left over from the flash. Let's head over to Sam Hudson, who is meeting with an expert in ther--"  
  
*click*  
  
"--epeat, there is nothing to worry about! By a joint decision, the Satan City Militia Committee and the Central City Army Chiefs have found this unusual occurrence to be non-military in origin. There is no evidence suggesting this is the work of an armed organization and an thorough investi--"  
  
*click*  
  
"--lieve that secret testing by the Red Ribbon Incorporated, recently established by Sinclair Red, is responsible for last night's surprise occurrence. When asked for her opinion on the matters concerning Capsule Corporation's newest rival, President Bulma Briefs had this to sa--"  
  
There was one last click. After a moment of silence, a female voice began to murmur just beyond Vegeta's hearing. While he couldn't make out the words, the woman's tone struck a chord in the prince's memory. [It can't be!!!] his mind shouted while he struggled to rise. Footsteps hurried towards him and Vegeta felt a pair of small, weak hands fighting to hold him down.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" the woman said aloud. The Saiyajin's eyes flew open, but his sight refused to return. Vegeta could only make out a blur of green-ish blue before his waning strength failed him. Collapsing on the bed in a restless fit of sleep, the warrior was silent once more. Bulma checked to make sure the medicine was strong enough to keep the man sedated, then crossed the room. With one worried look back, she turned off the lights walked out. "Stubborn man...what happened to you...?"  
  
"We're bound to find out eventually," came the reply. Bulma almost jumped out of her skin as her mate--the Vegeta of this time--appeared right in front of her. She had learned over the years that he could be as quiet as need be, and the warrior delighted in catching her off guard. "That flash last night was no weapon. It was a ki; a very strong one at that." Vegeta crossed his arms, a single bead of sweat sliding down the side of his face, and the woman realized that he was far more disturbed than was apparent. "I...I could sense no limit to it."  
  
Bulma brushed the bangs from her eyes, tucking them behind an ear in weariness. "So much for peace and quiet..."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Goku suddenly appeared in the middle of Muten Roshi's ponderously slow airship. Kuririn was preparing some new bandages for Trunks while Juuhachi-gou kept their impromptu patient calm. The short man looked up in surprise at his best friend's appearance and smiled. "Thank Kami-sama you're here, Goku!" Kuririn said, rushing up. "I hope you have good news!"  
  
The taller man shook his head gravely. " 'Fraid not," Goku replied. "But I'll save the serious stuff for later. That Trunks over there?"  
  
"Hai, he's pretty banged up," Kuririn responded, leading the Saiyajin over to the wounded one that lay on the ship's floor. "Tell me you have some Senzu!"  
  
Goku smirked, holding up a small bag. He quickly knelt at the lavender-haired teen's side and held out one of the tiny beans. "C'mon Trunks, take this," he urged. The youth shuddered from pain, but managed to chew the bean and swallow it down. A sigh escaped his lips as power and health flowed back into his body, and Trunks' eyes fluttered open. The ice blue orbs scanned the area, taking in the faces of the ex-monk, the jinzouningen woman, and the smiling Saiyajin. Trunks' expression of gratitude shifted to rage.  
  
"KAKAROTTO!!!" he screamed, launching at the taller man. The teen started powering up as his hands wrapped around Goku's neck in a death grip, their struggle throwing the airship off balance.  
  
"Khgk! T-t-Trunks!" Goku choked out, slowly forcing the younger man's clawing hands away. Kuririn and Juuhachi-gou immediately jumped on and tried to pull Trunks away. Surprisingly, the teen eventually eased and allowed himself to be pulled away.  
  
Trunks inspected Goku's face closely, seeing no sign of his enemy's very obvious scar. The man before him had calm, friendly eyes that were totally unlike the seething fury and greed beneath the surface of Kakarotto's. In fact, everything about this person's manner contradicted the mad Saiyajin's bloodlust and psychosis. "You're not...you're not Kakarotto..." the teen said in wonder.  
  
"Heh...no, I'm not." Goku rubbed his neck and grinned, albeit very confused.  
  
"But why would you think that, Trunks!?" Kuririn demanded.  
  
In his embarrassment, the young man's eyes skirted away from the faces of the people around him. It was bad enough that he had attacked the wrong man, but Trunks hadn't a clue as to what was going on. The Son Goku he knew had become a crazed beast, but this one had a kind smile the other was incapable of. Even the short noseless man and the young--extremely beautiful--blond seemed to be familiar with him. Trunks blushed and fidgeted a bit. "Sumimasen, I should explain--not that I really understand what's going on. Things have gotten confusing..."  
  
"You're telling me," Kuririn interjected.  
  
"Goten!" Trunks exclaimed. The youth gripped Goku by the shoulders in near hysterics. "We have to find Goten! He's even more beat up than me! If we don't get him some help..."  
  
"Hai, just put your hand on my shoulder." Goku knew the teen didn't mean the Goten of this time, but he didn't worry about the details. The warrior put two fingers to his forehead, drawing on Trunks' anxiety to narrow his search. After a moment, his eyebrows went up in shock, almost not believing what he found. "We're going, Kuririn. Meet us at Bulma's place." With that, the two disappeared.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Goten bolted upright and instantly regretted it, his body screaming at him in agony. The half-Saiyajin fell back onto the bed, glad for the voluminous blankets of fur wrapped around him.  
  
The kind villagers came to check on him regularly and one young bear-girl in particular seemed to have a crush on him, much to Goten's chagrin. He had awoken--a mere hours after his collapse--to find the girl fawning over him. As much as the odd medicine she was giving him helped immensely, Goten was terribly embarrassed to find her applying the salve to a burn on his bare stomach. While he had dealt with the situation quite well, the looks and winks she had been giving the youth since was beginning to worry him.  
  
Goten looked towards the door as the cottage's owner stepped inside. It was the bear-man Kumato, the one who had found him lying near-dead in the woods. Kumato brushed the white flakes off his shoulders and removed his heavy clothes, wet with snow. Hanging them on a peg near the roaring fire, the bear-man gave Goten a toothy grin. "How ya feelin', Snow Boy?" he asked, using the name the villagers had given the youth. He winked knowingly. "Seems ma little sister has taken a shinin' to ya."  
  
The half-Saiyajin teen shrugged as best he could. "Well, I've been better. I really should thank you again," Goten replied.  
  
"Don't ya worry 'bout that," Kumato said, waving him off. "We don't get many visitors round these parts, so we're happy to have some. Even if ya _are_ hurt," he added with a laugh. The bear-man's mirth was cut short when a pair of people suddenly appeared right in the middle of his home. One was a teenager with light purple hair, who hurried over to the now grinning Snow Boy. The other was a tall man with wild black hair that could have been the Snow Boy's brother.  
  
"Shinpai shinai," said Wild Hair. He had a kind smile and helped the startled Kumato into chair. "He's a friend of ours an' we need to take him back. Thanks for watchin' out for 'em." The tall man's voice drowned out whatever Purple Hair and Snow Boy were discussing. This went on for many minutes and Kumato couldn't get a word in edge-wise. Finally, Purple Hair gave Snow Boy something to eat and after a moment, the latter jumped up in perfect health. The raven-haired teen looked at Wild Hair solemnly, then the tallest man turned to face the two youths. "You guys ready to go?" They each nodded in turn and placed their hands on Wild Hair's shoulders. He smiled at Kumato again and waved. "Bai bai!" Then disappeared.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Bulma found herself once again heading towards the infirmary room where Yugure Vegeta--as this world's Saiyajin no Ouji had taken to calling him--lay recuperating. After the first time he had regained consciousness, the blue-haired woman found herself worrying about him all the more. It was strange, that she should care more for this other-worldly version of her mate than her own. Maybe it wasn't quite that, but Yugure Vegeta seemed to open up to her in a way that Vegeta hadn't for eleven years. Not since Trunks' conception had Bulma seen such longing in the prince's eyes. Yugure Vegeta never spoke to her, but the sadness in those obsidian orbs told of a lost love that broke the woman's heart.  
  
So once again, the Briefs woman was making her way down Capsule Corps warm, sunlight hallways with the express purpose of checking in on him again. Just as Bulma reached for the door handle, she heard angry voices coming from inside the room and a cold feeling ran through her. She practically ran through the door in her haste, immediately running into something large and orange so that she bounced almost back out into the hall. But before she hit the floor, hands wrapped around her waist and set the shaky woman back on her feet.  
  
"Gomen," Goku said with a bashful grin. "I guess I shoulda let you know we here, ne?"  
  
"Son-kun? What's going on?"  
  
The tall Saiyajin scratched the back of his head. "To be honest...I don't know! They haven't really told me anything," he replied with a laugh.  
  
Just behind him, two young men--one with black hair that stuck out at all angles and the other with long, straight lavender locks--were at Yugure Vegeta's bedside. They spoke quickly to him in hushed tones so that Bulma could only recognize certain names; his own, Kakarotto, Goku. The prince was chewing on something, then abruptly sat up in bed and glared at Goku, but the two youths kept him calm. Bulma could see his eyes sweeping the room, darting back and forth as he contemplated whatever they were telling him. They rested upon her and Bulma felt uneasy under his steady gaze. Yugure Vegeta's stare softened and though he faced the teens, his eyes still held hers when he nodded in understanding. The prince climbed out of bed, prudently wrapping the bed sheets around his waist.  
  
"I see what you mean," Yugure Vegeta said at last. His tone was calm and confident, but still lacked a certain something of the arrogance that this world's Vegeta entertained--though to a lesser degree since the Buu fiasco. "He really is just that foolish Son Goku. But does this mean that Kakarotto is still out there?" he thought aloud.  
  
"I'm not sure, Papa," replied the lavender-haired teen. He turned slightly and Bulma realized that it was the older, future version of Trunks. But it didn't make sense! In his time, Vegeta died!  
  
The other youth shook his head, leaning against a wall, and Bulma could see that he looked almost exactly like Goku. "We certainly didn't beat him... And it's probably a safe bet that we're in this place cause of him too," he said, very serious. "I bet he came with us."  
  
"Excuse me?" Bulma cut in. "Would you mind explaining just what's going on here!?"  
  
"Anou, Bulma," Goku said. "I got this feeling that... Maybe we should get everyone t'gether before we talk about anythin'."  
  
However impatient the Briefs woman was during the wait, the power of reason won over and she was forced to agree. The appearance of the three badly injured Yugure Senshi was an ill omen and, like the incident with the Jinzouningen so many years ago, group council was the wisest course of action.  
  
Goku had decided to go pick up Tenshinhan and Chaozu, but Kuririn and Juuhachi-gou had been flying in since the early afternoon and were the first to show up. Vegeta came inside from his training--with young Trunks and Goten, who was sleeping over, in tow--a bit perturbed at the interruption. Then came Yamucha whom, after the Cell Game, had decided to give up martial arts and was accepted back onto the Taitans as an assistant coach. The team was frightened they might be losing him again, but he managed to leave claiming a family emergency--which wasn't far from the truth, for his fellow Z Senshi had long been the family he lost as a youth. Gohan arrived next, with Videl trailing behind, and was distressed that he couldn't find Piccolo on his way up from his stay in Satan City. The young half-Saiyajin man had been spending "quality" time with his girlfriend (conveniently at the same time her father was away with a friend).  
  
At last, Goku returned with the other two warriors, and introductions were made. Many were shocked to learn that Yugure Vegeta had been taking care of his Trunks and Goten alone and for so long; perhaps even more shocked that they didn't turn out with his disagreeable attitude. Their younger counterparts where constantly asking questions, amazed at meeting their older selves. However, it was Goku that announced why they had gathered and he gravely suggested the get started. The Saiyajin man didn't say it, but the whole "Kakarotto" business on Roshi's airship had disturbed him greatly. "C'mon guys, let's get this over with," he said.  
  
All eyes instantly turned to Yugure Vegeta and he sighed heavily. "It really is quite simple when you get right down to it," he began. "In our time...there was a creature named Nagareboshi. At least, that's what we called It. We fought it many, many times over the years and It killed almost all of the native warriors on Chikyuu. In time, the only ones left were myself, the two boys--" he indicated Yugure Goten and Yugure Trunks with a wave of his hand "--and Kakarotto...or rather, Son Goku."  
  
Goku shook his head, the motion accompanied by the murmurs of his friends and allies, none of them recognizing the name either. "We've had some pretty rough times here too, but nothing like that."  
  
"Then that is the point at which our two worlds diverge," Yugure Vegeta said, nodding his head slowly. "Each time Goku confronted Nagareboshi, I saw a piece of him crack...fall away. The persona of Son Goku gradually died with each battle."  
  
"But there was more to it than that," said Yugure Goten, taking up the narration. "Even after Nagareboshi was beaten, things didn't pick up. Tousan took up a student, a girl named Paresu. But she was possessed by some kinda evil spirit. It said it wanted to 'disrupt' the universe. Tousan beat it, drove it out of her, but was pushed too hard. He...h--" The youth's voice choked up and his head fell.  
  
Yugure Trunks placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We think it pushed him over the edge. In our world, Goku-san lost everything to Nagareboshi, everything that mattered to him. It seems his sanity finally broke and now he acts like an animal....a Saiyajin..." The entire assemblage was still, silently brooding over the news.  
  
"No," Yugure Goten said at last. "When we were fighting him before, he spoke to me. Tousan was talking to me in my head... He said the this Kakarotto person took over...and he couldn't fight back..."  
  
"So...Kakarotto is actually another personality?" Bulma wondered. "Son-kun's Saiyajin mind was suppressed, and the stress on him from this Nagareboshi and that evil spirit released him. But how...?"  
  
"When I was a baby," Goku explained, "I hit my head on a rock. My grandfather use'ta say I was violent and mean until I that accident. Maybe that's what caused Kakarotto to go away." The warrior shook his head, suddenly frightened. "Does this mean it can happen to me, if I'm pushed too hard?"  
  
"There's no way to know for sure," Bulma replied.  
  
"We've been through some really bad situations, tousan," said Gohan. "But you've always seemed in control. Even against Cell and Buu, you've been calm and rational. It sounds to me that the you in their time didn't have that kind of stability, ne?" he added, turning to Yugure Vegeta.  
  
"Seems that way."  
  
"But how did you three, or four, get here?" Tenshinhan asked.  
  
Yugure Trunks leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "The last I can remember, we were fighting Kakarotto. He got mad that we weren't as weak as he thought we were, and tried to bring out all his power. But I don't know for sure how we ended up in your world... After that, it's all a blank." His father and best friend each nodded in agreement.  
  
Bulma leaned her elbows on the table, folding her hands in front of her face. They could see from the look in her eyes that the woman's brain was working this information over. "Maybe the release of that much power at once created some kind of rift in the space/time continuum." This went right over the heads of everyone else present and she looked up, seeing their confusion. "In other words, I'm not sure how to get them back...yet."  
  
Vegeta snorted, unfolding and re-folding his arms. "So there's an evil Kakarotto running around out there with more power than ours. Hn! Sounds like the opportunity for a fight I've wanted for a long time." Yugure Vegeta regarded his counterpart strangely, aware that the younger prince was underestimating his opponent, but almost admiring him because he knew what it was like to feel that way.  
  
"So it's a safe bet that the giant flash last night was caused by Kakarotto when he tore a hole in this space/time thingy," Yamucha said, more than a bit frightened by this revelation. "Which is also why you three were found so beat up; because Kakarotto had just kicked you around."  
  
Goku reached into his pocket and pulled out the tattered strip of purple cloth. "We know that he's already gone to work here. I'm sorry, Gohan..." His older son's face contorted in anger and sadness, the man's whole body shaking as he struggled not to explode. Videl quickly embraced Gohan, trying to comfort the half-Saiyajin in his pain. Again, everyone was silent. "Are there dragon balls in your time?" Goku finally asked.  
  
Yugure Vegeta shook his head. "I would assume not. By my understanding, they become useless when the Namek- seijin is killed. And he was, by Nagareboshi."  
  
"Then Kakarotto wouldn't know it's not like that here no more." Goku saw the expression of confusion on Yugure Vegeta's face and explained. "You remember the Namek boy, Dende? A while ago, he came to Chikyuu and now he's the new Kami, so now the dragon balls ain't connected to Piccolo."  
  
"I see what you're saying... Kakarotto wouldn't know that, because that hasn't happened in our world."  
  
"It makes sense," Yamucha agreed. "Piccolo-san was the first to die 'cause it would disable the dragon balls. But we still have them, which gives us the advantage," he said hopefully.  
  
"If he killed Piccolo-san for strategic purposes, then he's most likely still roaming around," Tenshinhan put in. "We probably haven't noticed him yet because he's looking for the right time to attack..."  
  
"Kakarotto was surprised when just Trunks, Goten and I put up such a hard fight for him," Yugure Vegeta said. "With so many more of us against him now, he'll be wary. I expect he'll strike at us individually, probably the strongest fir--" But he cut off. Everyone--everyone that could sense ki, that is--quickly turned to face the northwest. Each warrior's face was painted with shock and horror.  
  
Kakarotto had struck again.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The man in question laughed aloud, pulling his arm from some would-be hero's stomach. The afro-haired man fell in a growing pool of his own blood and convulsed, a fist-sized hole ripped right through his torso. Kakarotto took joy in the agony of the self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Champion". And so died Mister Satan, with an act of bravery whose magnitude he could not comprehend.  
  
The mad Saiyajin looked up at the afro-haired man's companion, a blubbery pink creature with an unexpected power. Apparently the Z Senshi of this time had caught wind of Kakarotto's existence and had hidden their powers, but this strange thing had a strength--very much like Nagareboshi's second form--that called out like a beacon. The rotund warrior boiled over with rage at the man's death, to the point that steam literally rose out of his head. Kakarotto laughed, amused by the odd being's power. It was huge, but still nothing compared to the Super Saiyajin.  
  
[This might be fun!] Kakarotto thought optimistically. While the pink creature continued to power up--futilely--thirteen new ki signatures arose far behind him. Most were weak and would normally be beyond the mad Saiyajin's notice, but some were strong. Very strong. And very familiar. [Or maybe not...] "Let's make this fast, you disgusting beast!" he roared.  
  
The pink warrior--who, unbeknownst to Kakarotto, was called Majin Buu--charged at his friend's killer. Buu wound up for a punch that would have split a mountain in two, but Kakarotto's leg lanced out faster than the black sorcerer's creation could dodge. The blow to Buu's face would have instantly broken a human's--or even a Saiyajin's--neck, but mattered little to the warrior's puddy-like body. The Super Saiyajin rained punches down on Buu's body that were faster than lightning, and nearly tore him apart with the effort. Stunned, the creature couldn't defend against the ki blast that destroyed his head.  
  
"Feh! So much for that," Kakarotto mumbled. Before Buu could regenerate and attack anew, the Saiyajin picked him up by the leg and tossed the carcass into the air. Another blast vaporized Buu's body completely and the insane warrior claimed his third victim. He turned to the south, noticing that the others were quickly closing in. "Another time perhaps," he said with a mocking tip of his head. Suppressing his ki, Kakarotto slipped away and left the Z Senshi to find his latest handiwork. 


	29. Episode 29

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume IV -- Madness in the Heart  
  
Episode 29 -- We've Gotta Do Something!! Rushing Blindly Into Battle!!  
  
"So, um, you're me?"  
  
"In a way, I suppose."  
  
"From the future, I mean. You're what I'm going to be when I'm older?"  
  
"Ah, not really. It's hard to explain."  
  
"Kaasan once told me about another me from the future that came to help beat up the jinzouningen. But I won't really be him because he changed history and we live different lives now."  
  
"Yeah, it's kind of like that. Everyone thought I was this other guy at first. But my time seems to be far removed from yours. So much so that I can't quite see _why_ they differ."  
  
"What's your time like?"  
  
Yugure Trunks balked at this. His young counterpart definitely seemed very mature for his age, or at least, acted so. Nevertheless, it was still a boy with whom he spoke. How could he accurately describe the oppressive atmosphere of his world without scaring him? The rigorous training, the years of living in constant fear, they all seemed so far away in this world and its seeming perfection. Sitting down on a nearby rock, Yugure Trunks looked around at his companions and contemplated how to answer.  
  
Yugure Goten was similarly entertaining Chibi Goten and they seemed to be getting along quite well. It was obvious that they were even more different than the two Trunks, the older being more subdued and mature while the younger was happy and energetic. However, the natural Son charm brought them together and they got along quite swimmingly. Despite the grave situation that they faced, both Gotens were smiling and laughing. Yugure Trunks wondered how they did it.  
  
Meanwhile, the others in their strange little gathering weren't quite so laid back. Tenshinhan and Yamucha were visibly anxious, standing at attention as if on lookout, while Chaozu tried to be brave even though he was currently cowering between the two tall men. What little dialogue passed between them was low and abrupt. Indeed, an undercurrent of fear ran through the entire assemblage. Kuririn had the look of someone physically ill and squirmed behind Goku. The tall Saiyajin had an uncharacteristic grimace on his face as he knelt by Mr. Satan's unfortunate corpse. Understandably, Videl was plagued by great wracking sobs and clung weakly to Gohan, who looked just as upset as his father, if not more so. Barely suppressed rage caused a small twitch in the younger Son's eyebrow. Bowing his head, he whispered softly to her to which she replied with a nod, apparently too hoarse to speak.  
  
"Tousan," he said aloud. "I'm going to take Videl home."  
  
Goku nodded quickly. "That's a good idea, we'll let you know if something comes up. Watch out for yourself!" he added, watching his son fly off with the young woman still held firmly to his chest. Goku then turned to face Kuririn. The short man was taken aback by the dark look in his best friend's normally cheerful eyes, but responded to the hushed question.  
  
Just a little aways, Juuhachi-gou stood with her hands on her hips, glowering at Mr. Satan. Though normally impassive, the jinzouningen woman was now clearly put off. The recently deceased _still_ hadn't paid the twenty- million zenni he owed her. She muttered something under her breath about "anything to get out of debt."  
  
"Che!" said Vegeta. The smirk of one anticipating a challenge faded from his face.  
  
Yugure Vegeta, perhaps the only one that had maintained his composure, was not terribly surprised by the younger prince's reaction. "If this Buu person was truly as strong as you say, then that is proof enough that Kakarotto should no be taken lightly."  
  
"Buu was no match for Kakarotto," Goku agreed, standing up. "You see, Vegeta? We can't keep thinkin' like we used to. Thinkin' that each new fight is just a chance to prove our strength. How many times we screwed up 'cause we underestimated the other guy?"  
  
"Don't tell me how to think!" Vegeta barked, but the haunted look in his pale face revealed his thoughts. That comment had hit home and for once, he agreed entirely.  
  
The group fell silent again. Yugure Trunks turned to the Chibi Him. "Well...it wasn't what you'd call a happy place. You could be surrounded by people and still feel lonely. There was always this sense of weariness that wouldn't go away. It's not so bad anymore, not since Nagareboshi was defeated. But with things still going the way they are... I just hope we don't drag all that here."  
  
Neither of the lavender-haired half-Saiyajin spoke after that.  
  
Off to the side with his other-worldly self, Chibi Goten saw the Yugure Trunks' forlorn expression mirrored in Yugure Goten's features. Feeling their sadness but not understanding why, the boy gave his older self a hug which elicited a tiny smile from Yugure Goten. "You wanna go back there?" the child asked, confused. "Can't you stay with us?"  
  
"It's my home, even if it's not quite as nice as this world," the elder replied with a sigh. "It's because of that world that I am the way I am. It's a part of me, as much as this world is a part of you. I have to go back.... Assuming it's even possible..."  
  
"Um, if you can't...you can always sleep in niisan's room. He's hardly around anyway," Chibi Goten said, making a face. He looked around conspiratorially, then whispered into Yugure Goten's ear. "He's always hangin' out with that girl. I think she brainwashed 'em!"  
  
Suddenly reminded of Paresu, Yugure Goten chuckled. "You'll understand when you meet a girl like that. It's hard to stay away from that special someone," he responded with more wisdom than he felt.  
  
"Nah, who needs girls? I've got Trunks-kun," he grinned. The older Goten snorted, quickly dismissing a very disturbing mental image. "Anyway, you can stay with me an' tousan an' kaasan. Then you can be my other niisan!" Chibi Goten concluded, feeling very proud of decision. "Then we train an' stuff an' it'll be cool!"  
  
Yugure Goten frowned, thinking of how his Vegeta would comment about Goten 'playing with himself.' [I _really_ need to get back to Paresu-chan!] The older Son boy rapped his knuckles against his forehead, then put on a smile. "Well, no promises, but we'll see how it goes."  
  
~~~~~  
  
The journey back to Satan City was quick and windy. Gohan, spurred on by anger and worry, cut through the air like a knife. But he was also very careful of his cargo, the pale Videl feeling even more weak and fragile in his arms. He silently thanked Kami when the first sprawling towers of the metropolis came into view. Flying between the buildings for cover, the eldest half-Saiyajin hurried to the eastern side of the city where the Satan mansion was.  
  
Only moments after touching down in the front yard, a pair of maids rushed out of the building towards them. No questions asked, they led Gohan to Videl's room where he lay her in bed. The maids hurried about making sure she was comfortable. The young man sat at her bedside, holding one shaking hand, and watched silently as her sobs slowed to the heaving breaths of slumber. Although he didn't want to leave, Gohan was practically pulled outside the room by an older woman--probably the head maid--who demanded to know what was going on. Hesitantly, the half- Saiyajin revealed the mournful news. Many of the younger maids broke down in tears, but the head maid held her jaw firm. She thanked him kindly and warned her coworkers to keep this under wraps.  
  
Before she could return to her normal chores, Gohan held her back. "Excuse me, but may I please use your phone?" The head maid nodded curtly, leading him to a private phone down the hall. After she excused herself, Gohan hastily punched up his home number. Not surprised that it was picked up before the first ring passed, the young man was greeted by his mother's strong but worried voice. "Kaasan, it's me--Wait! Onegai, just listen. I need you to get out the house as soon-- ...Kaasan, don't argue with me! This is important, just do it! ...Gomen, kaasan. But this is more important than you know. You have to get out as soon as you can. Just take what you need and go, don't waste time packing bags. You have to hurry! ...I'll explain later, just get to Bulma-san's! Iie, just go! Hayaku!"  
  
Gohan hung up the receiver and his mother's hysterical voice was suddenly cut off. Though the resolve in his face was apparent, one need only look to the half-Saiyajin's hand to see how angry he really was. The machine had crumbled to dust under his immense strength and the phone line fell to the floor, no longer having anything to plug into. Aside from the shaking of his fist, Gohan was still for many minutes. At last he looked up as if suddenly remembering where he was. With a growl, the man suppressed his ki as far as it would go and leapt out a nearby window.  
  
Dashing madly through the streets of downtown Satan City, Gohan ignored the shouts of pedestrians and the honking of cars horns on his journey south.  
  
~~~~~  
  
A crimson sun was slowly falling behind the western mountains as the remaining Z Senshi watched Yamucha's capsule car speed off back towards West Capital, in its back seat the body of Mr. Satan wrapped in a blanket. Feeling useless in a fight, Yamucha volunteered to be the one to reveal the publicity hound's demise--"Being on the Taitans, I've had more media coverage than you guys," he had joked mirthlessly, "They'll probably believe me more than the rest of you that this isn't a stunt."  
  
As the blue hover car disappeared behind a hill, Tenshinhan turned towards his companions with a resigned expression. "I probably should have gone with him, ne? It looks like I won't stand much of a chance against Kakarotto either."  
  
"Don't be too hard on yourself," Goku replied, consoling the three-eyed warrior. "Back then, you stood up to Buu when it counted. If you weren't there to help, even jus' that once, the fight coulda turned even worse for us."  
  
"Alright," Tenshinhan sighed. "You know I value your opinion, Goku-san. I'll stick around just in case." Turning to his small friend, "You should go tell Lunch what's going on, Chaozu. Stay with her, it'll be safer."  
  
"B-but, Ten-san," Chaozu stammered. "What if Kakarotto attacks me?"  
  
Vegeta roared with laughter. "I doubt _you'll_ have to worry about that! He's going after the strongest first, remember? You're no challenge to him!"  
  
"Back off!" Tenshinhan growled.  
  
"Cut it out, both of you!!" Goku said impatiently. Both men recoiled at the ferocity of his tone. "We don't have time for this! Besides...." but he trailed off.  
  
"Goku's right guys," Kuririn said, shrugging. He pounded a fist into his open hand. "We definitely have more important things to do. We gotta bring this Kakarotto fellah down before he strikes again! Oi, Vegeta--anou, Yugure Vegeta. Any idea where he might be now?"  
  
But the older prince didn't respond, instead watching Goku with a shocked expression. "Is he really that strong!?" the younger Vegeta exclaimed.  
  
"Just ignore me, why don't ya!" Kuririn muttered. "What's up!?"  
  
"I know who he's going after next," Goku said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's Gohan! Kakarotto's goin' after Gohan!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
In the Paozu mountains, night had fallen hours before. As if the very stars were aware of the horrors that would befall the area, they had hidden themselves behind a thick grey cloud-cover. As such, the only light for miles around came from a point some twenty feet above the Son house.  
  
"This should bring that brat out of hiding," growled Kakarotto ferally while a harsh red light emanated from his hand. He fired a small ki bolt and grinned as the humble building that housed three of the strongest fighters Chikyuu had ever known was instantly incinerated. "Ha! Die, you bit--" Kakarotto's joy was cut off as something slammed into his shoulders and sent him careening into the newly made crater. He barely avoided the hailstorm of energy blasts that followed. Flying up to his assailant, Kakarotto grinned. "You're a tad late, Gohan."  
  
"Bakemono," the half-Saiyajin spat contemptuously. He sized up his opponent. Even though they shared the same body, Kakarotto couldn't look less like Goku. His brow was heavy and hairless and a wicked scar split the left side of his face. His golden hair hung down his back, but there was even more on his body. It seemed this new level of Super Saiyajin was remarkably close to the Oozaru state, as Kakarotto had blond fur covering his arms and much of his torso. All in all, he looked as evil as Gohan knew him to be. Energy began to crackle around the half-Saiyajin's body as his power rose unbidden. "Guessing your next move was embarrassingly easy. You're not as smart as my tousan. Even with all this power your supposed to have, you're just a coward."  
  
"Coward?" Kakarotto chuckled. "Young foo--"  
  
"Dame da!!!" Gohan barked, a wave of pure energy pounding into Kakarotto's chest. He was almost knocked out of the air and eyed his other self's son dangerously. A vein was beginning to bulge on the younger man's forehead as his power continued to rise, his voice strained between clenched teeth. "You tried to kill my kaasan. For that, I can't forgive you. You _did_ kill Piccolo-san. For that, I _will_ not forgive you. And y-you...you made Videl cry..."  
  
"You self-righteous lit--"  
  
"YURUSANAI!!!"  
  
Gohan's aura erupted in a pillar of white flame that punched a hole in the sky. Below, the ground literally opened up as giant boulders were ripped away. Like some grisly re-telling of the final battle on Namek, jets of lava reached up to the two warriors. Golden lightning filled the sky and blew craters of their own into the hills and mountains. A vortex of wind whirled around with more power than any natural tornado. As if Chikyuu had jumped millions of miles closer to the Sun, the air was super-heat and the few trees that had stood up to the cataclysm thus far quickly wilted away. Giant tracks of land were suspended in midair by the sheer power Gohan was emitting.  
  
Even Kakarotto was hard-pressed to keep his balance as the backwash of ki buffeted him from all sides. "IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT???" the mad Saiyajin roared in response. Accepting the challenge, he focused his own ki.  
  
From space, it would look like the planet was about to explode.  
  
~~~~~  
  
In a flash, Goku had two fingers up and prepared to teleport away. But there was a flash of electricity and the tall man fell back with a cry, clutching his head.  
  
"What happened!?" Kuririn asked, rushing over to his friend.  
  
"T-too much," Goku stammered. "Too much...power....I can't teleport."  
  
Helping the Saiyajin back onto his feet, "C'mon guys! We gotta go help Gohan!"  
  
"Don't bother," interrupted Yugure Vegeta. He shook his head solemnly. "It's too late for him..."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Two years ago, during the fight with Buu, Rou Kaioushin had cast a spell on Gohan. It granted the young man the ability to completely tap into his enormous power reserve without needing to go Super Saiyajin. Now that gift was rendered moot as the half-Saiyajin forced his power beyond its limits. He knew the danger. He knew the consequences. He knew this would be his last fight. But with the determination to protect his loved ones at any cost, Gohan gave one last defiant shout. Showing his insane opponent the power of the true Legendary, he ascended to Super Saiyajin.  
  
The battle was vicious, but for the sake of Chikyuu, mercifully short. Kakarotto immediately went on the offensive with a left hook that did little more than scratch Gohan's jaw. Easily catching the right lunge that followed, the half-Saiyajin countered with a elbow in the stomach. A quick backhand stunned the mad warrior long enough for Gohan to execute a drop kick.  
  
Kakarotto tumbled back through the air but hurried to right himself, smacking away a ki bolt. Both warriors fired their beams of energy and the two collided in a brilliant explosion. They didn't waste a second and each strafed around to fire again, then again. As Gohan prepared to fire another blast, he suddenly realized that his opponent had slipped away. The Legendary instinctively struck backwards with a heel kick and caught Kakarotto in the stomach.  
  
But this wasn't enough to halt the mad man's assault and as he turned around, Gohan received a hammering punch across the face. The older warrior continued with a blow to the chest. Not quite doubling over, the half-Saiyajin retaliated with an overhead smash that sent Kakarotto careening downwards. Catching his footing on one of the floating boulders, Kakarotto sidestepped a punch that shattered the massive stone and counterattacked with a knee to the side.  
  
Gohan rolled with the blow and blocked a punch with his forearm, then reached out to lock hands with his crazy, other worldly father. The Legendary kneed Kakarotto in the gut, but the latter took the blow and struck back with a headbutt. Dazed, Gohan was thrown into another boulder. The half-Saiyajin managed to look up to see his opponent's blast of crimson ki bearing down on him and raised his hands.  
  
"MASENKOU!!!"  
  
Gohan's gold beam split Kakarotto's red effortlessly. It streaked up towards its target like lightning and the insane Saiyajin barely dodged in time, recieving a blistering glaze across his hairless chest. The very heat coming off the energy as it passed was enough to make Kakarotto wince, and he was too slow to defend against Gohan's next attack. Rocketing up like a bat out of hell, the Legendary charged with a punch that struck with a sickening crack. Kakarotto doubled over and tried to back away as pain shot through his chest, but his half-Saiyajin opponent was relentless. A flurry of blows beat on the mad man's quivering body, but even this onslaught would not stop him.  
  
Kakarotto caught a punch at the last second and countered, his leg lancing out so quickly it snapped Gohan's head back with a spray of blood. Having caught his second wind, the older warrior began with a couple punches that knocked the Legendary silly. He then followed up by seizing Gohan's head and repeatedly pounding away with his knees. Pressing a hand to the younger man's back, Kakarotto fired a blast that propelled his opponent into the ground not far from their volcanic battlefield. Gohan, barely conscious, felt the mad Saiyajin touch down above him and a hand clamp firmly down on his throat. The half-Saiyajin struggled to remove the appendage as it cut off his oxygen, but a piercing in his chest alerted him to greater danger. Unable to scream, Son Gohan died quietly as his heart was ripped out of his chest.  
  
The ground rumbled angrily as if in protest and a great blazing wave of lava crashed over them both. But as it receded, all that remained was the Legendary Super Saiyajin's smoldering corpse. 


	30. Episode 30

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume IV -- Madness in the Heart  
  
Episode 30 -- The Suicidal Strategy!! Revenge Don't Interest Me!!  
  
The morning had just begun when another tremor shook West Capital. It was the fourth in ten hours, the geological disturbances having begun not long after that fateful battle the previous night. While many people panicked, the occupants of Capsule Corporation needed worry about it little. Almost the entire complex was built in a series of domes, which did well to withstand the minor quakes. The Z Senshi--gathering here again--were allowed to be concerned with other matters.  
  
Within a private workshop, Bulma Briefs sat cross-legged on the floor, immersed in her project. She had become fed up with everything falling off the tables, so had moved all her tools to the floor. As such, other than making her miss a grab for a screwdriver twice, the tremors did little to distract her. The pale white light of a table lamp illuminated her, casting long shadows on her face. Combined with a lack of sleep, the woman seemed old and weary.  
  
Her shaking hands were busy constructing a small device, apparently the sixth in a series whose already assembled kin were in a pile to her side. Each had a thin circular shape, about five inches in diameter. The dull gray plastic gave way to a dark green monitor on one side. With a large dial on one side, it would appear to be an old-fashioned watch to the ignorant observer. At last, Bulma closed a small hatch on the back of her latest machine, then turned it over. It beeped when activated and a grid came to life on the screen. Twisting of the dial changed the scope of the grid, revealing seven glowing points. She turned it off and placed it with the others, gathering the necessary parts to craft yet another.  
  
[One more,] Bulma thought. [Just one more...] A sharp pain in her head reminded the woman that she needed sleep, but she would not allow it.  
  
Gohan's death had shown them all just how ruthless Kakarotto was. Buu's destruction was a show of sheer power. The demise of Mr. Satan was a reminder that no one was below his notice. Kakarotto would kill any of them, given the opportunity. That's why Bulma knew that she had to keep working. Their mad enemy didn't realize the dragon balls were no longer connected with Piccolo, and that was their trump card. With seven Dragon Radars they could collect them all very quickly right under Kakarotto's nose. The Briefs woman had been in her workshop for hours on end, ignoring her own grief.  
  
A long-overdue shudder passed through her body and Bulma realized she could no longer see through her goggles. One hand weakly pulled them off her face and the bottled up tears began to stream down her face. Burying her head in her hands, the woman just let herself cry. Despite her friendship with Son Goku, she had never been around much to see his son grow up. But on Namek-sei, Bulma had seen how quickly the half-Saiyajin child had matured. Forced into battle at such a young age, he grew up too quickly. And now his life was snuffed out in its prime. Bulma wept for his tragedy--but also for herself, for she never really knew him.  
  
There was a soft click of a door closing that went unnoticed by the aqua-haired woman, but she immediately recognized the arms that wrapped around her body. "V-veg...vege-ta?" she said, choking through her sobs.  
  
The prince did not speak at first. He was just outside the ring of light from her table lamp, and only by his touch and the sound of slow, even breaths did she know he was there. Bulma leaned back in his embrace and matched her breathing with his, eventually calming down. He stood and she knew his black, piercing eyes were watching her from within the cloak of darkness. Bulma thought that the Saiyajin no Ouji had never appeared so regal where he stood silently above her with his raven crown.  
  
Vegeta's face may have been hidden but the solemn tone of his voice was not. "I'm calling everyone for a meeting," announced the prince. His voice was low, steady, commanding and it had a rare, soothing effect on the nerve-wracked woman. "This is the time to act. I imagine you'll have something to suggest?" he asked, eyeing the pile of Dragon Radars.  
  
"Hai," the woman replied. Vegeta turned his back to her and walked towards the door. "...anou..." Bulma clenched her fists as the door open again with a soft swish. "Vegeta!!" The prince turned his head ever so slightly and she could just make out his features by the light from the hall. "Vegeta, I....... Is there...is there any way we can resolve this without another fight..?"  
  
"....No."  
  
"...I'm worried. I'm worried for everyone. I'm worried...for you. I don't want you t-to...to die."  
  
"I'm not the one you should be worried about--"  
  
"Dame da!" Bulma cried, trying to stand. She failed and fell sobbing to her knees. "Just stop talking like that! P- promise me......promise me you wo..won't die....."  
  
Silence.  
  
"I promise you...the Saiyajin no Ouji shall not die."  
  
Another click and the door closed.  
  
~~~~~  
  
A sense of bereavement had sunken in, weighing down on the hearts of the Z Senshi. Many of them had already gathered together in the common room, their shared melancholy casting a somber shadow over the bright, cheerfully decorated room. Silence hung in the air like a wraith that might strike at any who dared to speak. It was an indomitable, overwhelming mood of anger and fear that they all felt; hatred for Kakarotto but at the same time, a shame for not standing up against their daunting foe as Gohan had.  
  
No one could blame Tenshinhan when he left. They all knew that, despite being in excellent shape, he was certainly getting along in years. Besides, the bodyguard to an emperor had many obligations. The three-eyed warrior made his apologies, but it was understood that he was needed elsewhere. His bravery was not in question.  
  
In an effort to find a welcome distraction, Kuririn had turned on the television. The entire assemblage seemed to cringe as one, for even the cool, calm voice of a professional anchorman sounded far too loud and harsh for this time of quiet mourning. Nearly every channel was preoccupied with the death of Mister Satan and Kuririn felt a surge of anger, his throat tightening up. It felt like an outrage that such a man was more important than the kind, brave Gohan! But the short man realized his fury was directed at the wrong person.  
  
Some degree of comfort came from a familiar face. One station was running a recorded interview with Yamucha, who was being grilled by hysterical reporters. It seemed that even his minor sports celebrity status did not hold him above suspicion, but the scarred man was handling it quite well. He gave a small but significant look to the camera that eased a weight off Kuririn's shoulders. Yamucha had everything under control; the Z Senshi could fully concentrate on the matter at hand.  
  
Relieved a bit, the ex-monk flipped channels again and came to a courageous rural news crew. The screen showed a scene of massive devastation that was new to the group of warriors. They had all sensed the magnitude of Gohan's final battle, but to see its results on the staticy thirty-inch screen was a true horror. Like some kind of perverse movie, the giant hole ripped into Chikyuu's surface was a graphic image that they felt guilty for even looking at so raptly.  
  
While the adults watched in shameful awe, young Trunks slowly trod into the common room. Even with the small half-Saiyajin's solid build, he looked pale and thin; soft lavender hair wildly disheveled. The boy's face was streaked with tears and his red eyes glared at the flashing images on the TV screen. Chibi Trunks pushed his way past the startled warriors, delivering a punch that shattered the television set to pieces. His breathing came in long, ragged gasps and sorrow won over, pulling him down to his knees.  
  
The group stayed quiet for a while, as Kuririn tried to comfort the young half-Saiyajin. Even Juuhachi-gou, who normally seemed indifferent, showed sympathy for the boy; perhaps feeling guilty for not being there to comfort her own child. A significant look passed between the Yugure Trunks and Yugure Goten, but they too said nothing. With all the horrible things he had done, for this especially, for disrupting these people's peaceful lives, Kakarotto would pay.  
  
A pair of voices coming from down the hall gradually grew louder, until the two Vegeta's entered the common room. It was still an odd sight, made all the stranger because neither were outwardly upset. Chibi Trunks immediately ran for his father and while looking uncomfortable, the Saiyajin no Ouji accepted his grieving son's hug. Yugure Vegeta scanned the room, looking at each Senshi's tired yet determined face. "Where's Goku?" he asked evenly.  
  
"Oi...I'm here," came the reply. Goku trudged into common room, appearing far more worn than for his years. Held up by one arm was little Goten, who looked as if he was crying harder than Trunks. However, like everyone else at the moment, the youngest half-Saiyajin was quiet and stoic. "Chichi just went to sleep," Goku continued, sitting down in a large armchair with Goten still clinging to his neck. He looked up at all his friends with an odd, blank expression. "This ends today."  
  
"Indeed it must," Yugure Vegeta responded with a nod. "But we're not rushing blindly into this. We've done that far too many times, to which I can personally atest. This has to end in a single battle, with all of us together. It's our only chance at killing Kakarotto."  
  
Goku raised his free hand, as if to stop the prince. "You're right on that, but if it's gonna be all of us, it's gonna be _all_ of us. We need to bring Gohan and others back first."  
  
"And just how do you propose we do that?" Vegeta scoffed. "I doubt Kakarotto will give us enough time to collect all the Dragon Balls and resurrect them."  
  
"Easily solved," replied his other-worldly counterpart. "Bulma's already figured that part out." The Yugure prince looked towards the door, where Bulma was slumped against the frame. Although weak from sleep deprivation, she had a triumphant grin on her face and seven new Dragon Radars stacked between her hands.  
  
"But Kakarotto still knows the Shunkan Idou," Vegeta pointed out.  
  
"That's where I come in." Goku stood, letting Goten down off his lap. "I'm the only one that can keep up with him, so I'll be the diversion."  
  
Kuririn slammed his hand down on top of the television, shoulders shaking. "Dame da! If he kills you--"  
  
"You guys can wish me back," the tall Saiyajin assured him. "Shenlong's stronger now, thanks to Dende."  
  
"At least let someone go with you," Kuririn pleaded.  
  
Goku shook his head. "We don't got that many to spare. We only got six to look for the Dragon Balls as it is."  
  
"Iie," Yugure Trunks interrupted. "We have eight." This world's Goten and Trunks were looking to Goku, pleading to be included. "They'll search and they'll fight."  
  
Yugure Goten grinned, hands on hips. "We're doing this together, ne? All of us means _all_ of us."  
  
"Right then, it's decided," said Bulma. She went around, handing each of the Senshi a Dragon Radar. "Each one is set to a slightly different frequency, so you'll each only get one to look for. That way, you won't get in anyone else's way. If I made them right, these are more accurate than the older model."  
  
Goku bowed, smiling. "Okay gang, wait til you sense me fightin' Kakarotto. That's the best time to start, 'cause he'll be distracted." He raised two fingers to his forehead, but paused and looked over everyone. His friends, his family, his allies. These were people he would give his life for, should the need arise. And with any luck, this would be the last time he might have to make that sacrifice. "Ganbatte yo, minnasan!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
The wind whistled shrilly in Kakarotto's ear, as if trying to drive him away. He stood atop the stone vantage point normally reserved for a particular Namek-seijin, furry yellow arms crossed like he was waiting for something. And waiting for something he was. Waiting for the next Senshi to make himself vulnerable. Waiting for the next Senshi to mark himself as prey. Waiting for the next chance to taste blood.  
  
Watching with his mind, the mad Saiyajin tried searching for his enemies. But not even the skills he had stolen from the mighty Son Goku were enough to sense some who was surpessing their ki down to nothing. In fact, much of Kakarotto's mind was occupied with other matters; for instance, attempting to quell the pain that screamed in his side. Gohan may have been killed, but the Legendary had inflicted some major damage on his opponent. If the insane warrior tried to steal some Senzu, the Z Senshi would be all over him, but the wounds would gradually sap even Kakarotto's immense strength. With time no longer on his side, he couldn't afford to pass up the next chance to attack. Regardless of the foe that awaited, Kakarotto would have to strike.  
  
Suddenly, there was a twinge at the evil Saiyajin's senses. His eyes opened wide in surprise as his counterpart revealed himself. The Son Goku of this world wasn't being careless, he was demanding a duel! His power rose and rose, challeging Kakarotto. There was no other choice. "Then a duel it is," he murmured with a gimace. A moment later and the madman's own Shunkan Idou brought him face to face with Goku.  
  
The kinder Saiyajin hovered in mid air, the crackling of his aura acenuated by peals of lightning. His long mane of gold swirled in the backdraft of his power and his sharp brow was lowered in an inhuman degree of focus. But Goku wasn't straining to maintain the state of Super Saiyajin 3, and instead seemed quite at ease. Even though Kakarotto was a full level of power higher, the younger warrior was a far more dangerous foe than the Legendary. For all his power, Gohan could never match his father's fighting genius.  
  
"Saa. It's about damn time," Goku said in a no-nonsense tone. "Let's do this."  
  
"Are you really that stupid?" Kakarotto taunted with a mostly false confidence. "You _are_ going to die like all the others, you know."  
  
"Maybe," Goku smirked. "Maybe not. Either way, this is the end for you. You die today."  
  
The mad Saiyajin stretched his shoulder out, preparing for battle once again. "Sou ka? Then this is your desperate attempt the settle the score? Now now, Goku. Haboring a grudge will only distract you," Kakarotto added with a small wag of his finger.  
  
"Revenge don't interest me." Goku's smirk widened into a grin. "To be honest, I'm just the bait."  
  
His insane counterpart's eyes opened wide and for the first time, Kakarotto noticed the other eight Z Senshi spread out across Chikyuu. Something clicked, and the madman swore. "Kuso!! You mean this whole time, there was another set of Dragon Balls!?!?"  
  
"Now who's stupid? I know Shunkan Idou too, so don't bother tryin' to stop 'em."  
  
"KUTABARE!!!" Kakarotto roared, lunging at his enemy. Goku easily caught the punch.  
  
"Don't get distracted, ne? 


	31. Episode 31

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume IV -- Madness in the Heart  
  
Episode 31 -- Rushing Against The Clock!! Get Those Dragon Balls!!  
  
Outside on the cool, green lawns of Capsule Corporation stood eight figures. Among them were seven of the most crucial inventions ever created, every one beeping softly with a marker for each of the seven different crystalline targets. There was a tense moment after Goku teleported away that the remaining Z Senshi gathered outside, waiting for their chance to act. They could sense the Saiyajin announcing his presence with a clear ki signature. They waited with bated breath for the challenge to be acknowledged.  
  
His every sense attuned to the coming battle, Yugure Vegeta was the first to spot it. An enormous ki signaled that Goku had met with his dark counterpart, bringing the prince back to the present. "We move!!" He shot off like a bullet, the other seven fighters following at their respective reaction times. The air was filled with a backwash of heat and air for a moment, then ended, the Senshi now streaking to the four corners of Chikyuu.  
  
Yugure Trunks was heading approximately southwest at breakneck speeds, totally unaware of how much time had already passed. It wasn't until he reached the inner ocean that he looked in the water and saw a reflection behind him that he realized the cute blonde girl wasn't far behind. A sudden rise in ki over the horizon made him stop, the Jinzouningen slowing next to him. They exchanged a nervous glance.  
  
"He figured it out pretty quick," Juuhachi-gou mused.  
  
"Time's against us, let's hurry," Trunks replied. He said "Good luck!" before taking off again on a more direct route to his target.  
  
"You too!" she called to his back and followed suite, disappearing behind a cloud.  
  
Trunks was in a daze. There was just so much going on in his head, he actually had to double back, having flown over his dragon ball. The lavender-haired teen descended to a desert area, apparently flattened by some titanic battle. The landmarks were different, but he slowly recognized it as the same place they had encountered Nagareboshi. It was with mild surprise that he found the abandoned spaceship in the same place they had before, but this one was a total wreck. It's destruction was obviously deliberate. He idly wondered if this world's Senshi had to deal with whatever arrived in it.  
  
There was one particularly large crater where the ground had collapsed, filling the first of the four chambers with rubble. The blip on his Dragon Radar took Trunks down into the middle of it and he quickly began to dig around. Bulma was right when she said this model was more accurate, for it helped the half-Saiyajin pin the dragon ball down to within a meter. There was a small fissure, so Trunks poked his hand in and fished around. He eventually grabbed something small and round, pulling out his crystalline prize.  
  
Getting his bearings again--the poor guy seemed to have a problem with directions--Trunks flew off to the north. He could detect the battle raging between Goku and Kakarotto as it occasionally jumped around. The half-Saiyajin noticed with a start that it was gradually heading towards their agreed gathering place, Kami's lookout. He put on an extra burst of speed and wondered where the others were.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Goten was furiously rubbing his arms to warm them against the biting wind. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered why he was always the one stuck in the cold. The target on his Dragon Radar took him to the far northwest in the land of ice and snow. Had his teeth not been chattering, he would have laughed as a familiar mountain village came into sight. The half-Saiyajin needed only look at his radar one more time before he was sure where the dragon ball was. He landed outside a cozy looking cottage and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a thoroughly surprised Kumato.  
  
"Snow Boy? Well, h'lo again!" the bear-man said with the same toothy grin. He ushered the shivering teen inside.  
  
"Yeah, hi," Goten said quickly. "I'm looking for this thing. It looks like a small orange ball, with tiny red stars inside. Kinda like that," he added, pointing to a jewel tied with a ribbon among some flowers. Realization dawned on the youth and he hurried over to pick it up. He yanked it out of the ribbon, knocking over what was apparently a hat. Kumato's sister looked at him in bewilderment. "Anou, sankyuu!" Goten sprinted out of the house, Kumato's hearty laughter drowning out his shrieking sister's voice.  
  
Goten wiped the sweat from his brow, which had already begun to freeze on his head from the cold weather. Surmising that he could get to Kami's lookout faster by continuing west, he sped off. Ahead, the energy that pin- pointed Goku's fight with Kakarotto seemed far too close. [Aiyaa...]  
  
~~~~~  
  
Goku spun with the punch that followed, using his momentum to plant a foot in Kakarotto's side. Although the endurance bestowed on him by Super Saiyajin 3 was enough to let him shrug off the blow, it did nothing to dull the pain. And that last hit hurt more than Goku would have liked to admit.  
  
The two squared off again and charged. They traded blows in a blur, arm meeting arm and fist meeting fist. At the intense speed the Z Senshi were accustomed to fighting, it sounded like heavy machinegun fire. Goku managed to get inside his enemy's defense and delivered two quick knees to the chin. Seizing Kakarotto in an arm lock, the unscarred Saiyajin rocketed earthward to drive his blemished foe into the stony ground.  
  
The defender of Chikyuu knew his limited power would drain more quickly with prolonged battle, so used all his strength to simply pin the struggling Kakarotto down. With leverage to his advantage, he would have succeeded had it not been for another sudden tremor. Loosening Goku's grip, Kakarotto broke free and slammed his opponent's back into the crater wall with shattering force.  
  
"This...is...what...you...get...for....challenging...me!!!" growled the mad Saiyajin, each word punctuated with another blow to the face. "I'm invincible, na?" he added, grinning at the bloody-lipped Goku. He clenched his hands together above his head for another strike, but a stitch in his side made him wince.  
  
Goku seized the opportunity and rammed his fist into Kakarotto's side. "You talk to much," the younger Saiyajin remarked. Pushing the cringing madman back, he grabbed Kakarotto's arm and a standard judo throw flung the villain up into the air. Then he disappeared. "Kuso!" Goku swore, jamming two fingers to his forehead.  
  
Traveling approximately at the speed of thought (though that wasn't terribly fast for Goku), the swirling non-color of Shunkan Idou travel surrounded him. Reaching out was like trying swim through molasses, but Goku managed to get a grip on Kakarotto's foot and pulled him out of the teleportation and back to Chikyuu. He flew down and swung the madman into a cliff, fortunately not far from where they begun fighting.  
  
A pair of ki bolts descended on the rubble, washing them with flame. His vision obscured by the light, Goku didn't see Kakarotto flying up and was thus unable to dodge the fist that dug into his stomach. Winded, he barely managed to counter the next two punches. They separated slightly and swung at each other, but their images seemed to fade away. There was a resounding crash a moment later and they reappeared, Goku hurtling down into a forest. Snapping through trees, he eventually caught himself on his hands and knees. A swift mule kick prevented the following Kakarotto from attacking and Goku stood, delivering a crushing right cross.  
  
Kakarotto stumbled, but managed to teleport away from the follow-up. The sane man--who was getting fed up of his evil counterpart--growled and was forced to follow again. But this time, Kakarotto pulled out early and doubled back just in time to catch the gullible hero with a lariat. The mad Saiyajin continued with a kick to the spine that made it sound like the bones would crumble. As he careened through the air, Goku gritted his teeth and Shunkan Idou-ed again, managing to catch the fleeing Kakarotto with a two-fisted swing.  
  
They both paused to catch their breath, angry at themselves for not being able to finish it by now. It was a stalemate of the worst kind. They were strong enough to pummel each other senselessly, but not enough so for either to gain a decisive advantage. Goku in particularly was straining by now to maintain this pace. Fighting at Super Saiyajin 3 for this long was still no easy feat and time was precious.  
  
Like dueling gunman, both Saiyajin abruptly struck with a ki blast that filled the air with smoke and fire. And so it started all over again.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Chibi Trunks was tapping his foot impatiently, seated on the steps into Kami's palace. Just behind him, Chibi Goten-- lacking anything better to do--was staring at the dragon ball they had found.  
  
It was in a bird's nest, always the obvious place to find one of the glittering crystals orbs, halfway up Karin's tower. As a result, the two children were the first to arrive at the gathering point, pausing only to get some Senzu from the ivory tower's master. The large white cat and his fat samurai companion were on their way out and Trunks decided it might be a good idea if Dende and Mr. Popo left as well. The young Kami was sullen, but agreed on the condition he would stay close by to heal anyone with serious injuries. The two mystical men had then boarded a flying carpet and hovered off to safety. That was two minutes ago, but the wait felt like an eternity.  
  
"Trunks-kun?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Do you...think we can beat him?"  
  
"Kakarotto, you mean?"  
  
"...hn..."  
  
Trunks turned around, giving the younger boy a thumbs-up. "We have to," the purple-haired youth smirked. "Losing isn't an option." There was a twinge at his senses and the two half-Saiyajin stood up at the same time. "He...he's getting too close..."  
  
"What do we do!?" Goten said, looking panicked.  
  
Trunks clenched his fists. "We fight." The pair rushed out into the courtyard, watching as some small explosions in the distance grew closer and louder, like approaching thunder. No words passed between the two as they defiantly faced the imminent danger. The Son boy steadied himself, resolve to avenge Gohan filling him with the energy he would need for battle.  
  
It came all too quickly, announced by Goku's prone body crashing into the side of the floating palace. As the tall Saiyajin struggled to rise to defend himself from the next attack, his blurred vision caught sight of two small figures deflecting an incoming blast of red ki. "G-goten! Trunks! D...dame..." Needless to say, the two youngest Super Saiyajin ignored him, powering up to attack.  
  
A bit aways, Kakarotto blinked as he saw a pair of children apparently foolish enough to throw their lives away. "What do you two gaki think you're doing?" he queried, touching down at the edge of the courtyard. "Do you seriously believe you have the power to stop me? You're just pups!"  
  
"No, we don't," Trunks said through clenched teeth. "But Gotenks does." He and Goten took their positions, posing oddly in the dance of Fusion. Kakarotto blinked at the ridiculous maneuver, unaware of what was in store for him. "Fuuuuuu..."  
  
"...siiiooon...."  
  
""HA!!!"" The two half-Saiyajin said together, touching their fingers in the final pose. A brilliant flash of white lit the courtyard like an enormous floodlight and Kakarotto drew back in surprise. When he dared to open his eyes, the mad Saiyajin gasped. In place of the two boys was now one, his small body seething with power beneath the heavy black and orange leather vest. The little warrior did a few stretches, dusted off his billowing white pants, then flexed rather impressively for a child, his high-pitched guffaw irritating Kakarotto to no end.  
  
"Nande kuso?" the madman exclaimed. "W-what the hell is _this_!?"  
  
""Oh ho ho ho!"" Gotenks laughed confidently. ""This baka-bakemono doesn't know who Gotenks is! We'll show you, chikuSHOU!!!"" The Goten/Trunks-Fusion pushed his ki up to max, his golden locks shining with light as it expanded with each successive stage of power. Fire and lightning jumped to life around the younger level three Super Saiyajin.  
  
"Iie...dammit," Goku groaned, trying to force his screaming body back into the fight. "Power *cough*...isn't enough. Kusooo..."  
  
Gotenks dashed forward and Kakarotto attacked with a hasty lunge. The child warrior leapt at the last second and landed behind the larger Super Saiyajin, turning for a surprise attack. The madman tried to counter with a backhand, but Gotenks grabbed his arm and swung, planting two feet firmly in his enemy's face. Kakarotto stumbled back and the small Senshi plowed into him, driving the mad Saiyajin off the lookout and down, into the river far below.  
  
Gotenks quickly shot back up with an explosion of water and flared his aura. ""RENZOKU SHINE SHINE MISSILE!!!"" Blast after blast of ki pierced the river, tearing apart the river bed. And the shores. And the surrounding forest. A series of explosions rang out, scaring away the wildlife. Still Gotenks continued to channel all his energy into this one attack. At last, it ended, the Fusion warrior breathing heavy as he appraised the damage. A smirk graced his face and he flashed a 'victory' sign. ""Yeah yea--ahg!""  
  
The next thing Gotenks saw was Kakarotto's mocking face at the end of a long, furry arm. The madman tightened his grip on the small fighter's neck, amused at how he squirmed. "Foolish boy. All the power in the world won't help if you don't know how to fight." Blood poured from Gotenks' mouth as his throat was squeezed mercilessly. "But I will give you this: you have a lot of heart. But not for long." Kakarotto grinned evilly, relishing the moment. "I'll just take it like I took Gohan's." He drew his hand back, fingers poised like a claw.  
  
"Not today, yarou!!" Yugure Goten shouted, wrapping his arm around Kakarotto's to halt the blow. His other hand pulled back on the mad Saiyajin's hair while the teen's knee rammed up into his foe's back. Kakarotto's glazed eyes stared up into the blue sky, not registering that a furious Yugure Trunks was descending on him as well. The older half-Saiyajin slammed into Kakarotto, sending him careening to the ground. "Thanks for showing up," Goten said with a chuckle. He clapped hands with his best friend.  
  
"Who's the shorty?" Trunks asked, pointing a thumb at Gotenks. The Fused boy shuddered, a bit of static crackling around him as the spell broke. The two older half-Saiyajin quickly caught their exhausted counterparts. "Ah, nevermind. Oi, you guys okay?"  
  
Chibi Trunks looked up weakly. "G-go...gomen. We're not *cough* strong enough..."  
  
"Are you well enough to fly?" The younger Trunks pushed away, proving that he could hover slowly on his own. "Right; take Goten and the dragon balls we found and go back to the lookout."  
  
As the children floated precariously away, Yugure Goten looked down to see a groggy Kakarotto pulling himself out of a crater. "Shall we?"  
  
Yugure Trunks straightened his shirt and nodded. "Let's."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Far to the east, in the barren waste below the Southern Range, Vegeta's search for a dragon ball brought him to a place of the past. It was the mountainous desert where he had fought Goku during his first visit to Chikyuu. The Saiyajin no Ouji surveyed the area with an air of nostalgia. Even though he was aware the fight with Kakarotto was getting dangerously close to Kami's lookout, he couldn't help but reminisce.  
  
Back then, when he first squared off against 'Kakarotto,' it was the perfect fight. Just two men at the height of their strength, pitted against each other for no other reason than to prove themselves. The dragon balls weren't a concern. No fear of a greater force wiping them out. No life debt to worry about. Just the pure, simple joy of battle. Vegeta shook his head, thinking about how his life changed. He had obligations now, to his family, to the world. Not too long ago, the prince had wanted to go back to that other time. Go back to being a selfish murder. He wanted that, or at least, had convinced himself to want that. It was a lie, he could see that now. There were better things to live for.  
  
"Time to go to work," Vegeta murmured. He clicked the button on the Dragon Radar, trying to pin-point his target. Searching through the dust and rocks was no easy task, but an unwavering perseverence saw him through. Finally, the dragon ball sat before him, reflecting his image in its flawless surface. One gloved hand picked it up, marveling at how so much trouble came about because of this silly crystal trinket. The prince snorted, then flew off across the water.  
  
If only it was so easy for the other Vegeta, maybe they would have had all seven together already. The other worldly prince was having a supremely difficult time fighting the pounding rain and buffeting winds of a typical storm in Yunzabitt Heights. Lightning blinded him, thunder deafened him, and hail the size of fists rocked the Saiyajin's body. Yugure Vegeta swore he had never been more wet and miserable in his entire life, stuck searching the endless peaks and valleys of Yunzabitt for the past twenty-something minutes. "This is madness!!!" he roared at the storm. The prince flared his golden aura, its intense heat turning the rain to steam, but other wise doing little to help the situation.  
  
It was difficult enough to see the Dragon Radar in the tempest, let alone get it to work properly. After much fussing and swearing, Vegeta finally narrowed the dragon ball down to under a giant flying saurian. The ugly bird-like creature looked even more upset than the Saiyajin Prince, perhaps being caught here in mid-migration. Spotting the bedraggled man, it cawed at him in anger. [Enough is enough,] Vegeta thought angrily. He simply grabbed the saurian's beak and twisted, breaking it's neck and effectively getting it to move. Vegeta picked up the dragon ball and rocketed away, thankful for finally getting a chance to dry.  
  
Yugure Vegeta's path took him over the Yahhoi Forest and past the once-ruins of the Red Ribbon Army headquarters, the latter being his only indication that he had veered slight to the west. A purely random firing of synapses in his brain reminded him of a news story about somebody named Red trying to rebuild the neglected base, probably his world's version of the guy he heard about on the infirmy TV. Doubling back, it wasn't long before the ivory tower came into view and the prince turned to fly up. From this vantage, he could see the surrounding area was pock-marked with explosions and a sudden flash of light on the other side of Karin's tower told him that the fight was still on.  
  
The Yugure Ouji eventually reached the top where he saw his counterpart arguing with a very bruised Goku. Off to the side, the younger Goten and Trunks were sullenly guarding the collection of dragon balls. The other worldly prince tossed his into the pile and advanced on his shouting double. "What's going on!? Why are you fighting!?" he demanded.  
  
The Vegeta of this world glared, but spoke in a more civil tone. "This baka wants to Fuse with me."  
  
"I'm tellin' ya," Goku said with a pained expression. "Doin' it's our only shot right now. I don't know how long Goten an' Trunks can last out there."  
  
"Fuse?" Yugure Vegeta asked mildly.  
  
"Some stupid dance," the other grumbled.  
  
Goku shook his head, annoyed. "But we'll get a lot stronger!"  
  
"You're not in much shape to do anything," the older prince noted, eyeing the taller Saiyajin's numerous wounds. Yugure Vegeta turned to stare pointedly at his counterpart. "If it will make us strong enough to defeat Kakarotto, then you'll Fuse with me."  
  
Vegeta snorted, his usual response to an inane idea. "Don't be absurd. I'll just go fight the bakemono myself." Uncrossing his arms, the younger prince strode away, but was yanked back. He was forcibly spun around to face his furious older self. "What do you think you're doing!?"  
  
"Saving your life, ahondara!!" Yugure Vegeta roared.  
  
"Che! My life is my own to do with as I see fit!" Vegeta leaned in close, speaking now in a lower but no less barbed tone. "I will gladly give my life to save my mate and child."  
  
"And how do you think they'd feel when you're dead?" the older man countered. There was a dangerous glint in his coal black eyes that sent a shiver down Vegeta's spine. "I made a promise to _your_ mate that _you_ wouldn't die. I intend to keep that promise...whether you like it or not."  
  
~~~~~  
  
In the forests west of South Capital, Juuhachi-gou was probably having the hardest time of all finding her dragon ball. The canopy was thick and brambly to the point of absurd, making it damn near impossibly to even get inside. It certainly didn't help that her target was constantly moving around. The Jinzouningen woman wasn't aware just how badly the fight with Kakarotto had been going this whole time, but she understood that every minute counted and she had wasted way too many minutes already.  
  
Becoming so frustrated, the blonde woman actually had to stop for a moment and compose herself. This was getting nowhere fast. Sucking up her courage, she decided she would just have to regret wearing her nice clothes some other time and dove down, crashing through the thorny branches. She touched down on the forest floor and inspected the damage. [Oh damn...that's going to cost a lot,] Juuhachi-gou thought sourly. [I'll just tack it on to Satan's bill as payment for wishing him back.]  
  
Getting back to the matter at hand, Juuhachi-gou found it was much easier searching below the leaves. A suspicious shadow was flitting through the trees up ahead and the readings from her radar made it seem like it was carrying the dragon ball. Taking off at a run, the Jinzouningen quickly gained on the shadow that was unsuccessfully trying to be stealthy and tackled it. Getting up and dusting herself off, the woman looked at the young man she had knocked down.  
  
He had long black hair that--now mussed--obscured his face and wore a tattered brown trenchcoat. But there was something unsettlingly familiar about the orange scarf tied around his neck. He too stood, apparently unhurt, and looked at her with icy blue eyes. "Oi, neesan."  
  
The blonde took a step back, startled. "Juunana-gou!? You're...alive? D-do yatte?"  
  
The male Jinzouningen, thought lost after the Cell Game, casually straightened his jacket and shook his head. "Not a clue. I recall getting absorbed by Cell and then--" he raised his hands "--it's a blank. I just remembered being back, no explanations."  
  
"How come you never showed yourself? I...I was worried about you...for a long time." The woman looked down, almost ashamed with herself for not seeking her brother longer. She had left him for dead and now here he was.  
  
Juunana-gou shrugged, looking as cool as always. "No real reason too. I eventually figured out Cell had killed Son Goku and when he came back, I didn't care to hunt him down anymore. Been living out here ever since. I got a cabin just back there. Can I offer you some tea?" he asked cordially.  
  
All of sudden remembering why she was here, "The dragon ball! Do you have it with you?"  
  
Sighing, "Yeah, here you go." Juunana-gou reached into his coat and pulled out the orange sphere. "I found it a while back; almost forgot I had it." He tossed her the dragon ball, then stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You know, I actually thought you might have come looking for me again..." After a pause, the still young-looking man chuckled. "Don't know why I kept running away. Maybe I didn't want to be found. It's nice here, with the birds and stuff. I see now why Juuroku-gou liked them so much."  
  
Silence.  
  
"I still don't regret it," Juunana-gou said at last, softly. "Doing what we did, I mean. It was never really about killing Son Goku, or anyone else. I just liked being together, with you and Juurokugou. It was like...family."  
  
"Come back with me!" Juuhachi-gou pleaded. "I...I have a family now. It would be nice for Marron to know her uncle," she added with a tiny smile.  
  
Juunana-gou looked like he was about to refuse, but another tremor made him pause. Shrugging, "Sure, why not? A change of pace might liven things up a bit." A moment later, two Jinzouningen pierced the canopy and headed north. A point on the horizon was starting to turn dark. "A fight?" the man asked.  
  
"Yes, unfortunately," the blonde admitted. "That's why I needed the dragon ball."  
  
"Heh. Family life is already agreeing with me." Cracking his knuckles, "Yosh!" 


	32. Episode 32

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume IV -- Madness in the Heart  
  
Episode 32 -- The Super Amazing Fusion!! Tell Me Thy Wish!!  
  
Goku stumbled a bit, leaning against a tree to catch his breath. [Just a little bit longer,] he thought, watching as Goten and Trunks tried teaching the two Vegetas how to perform Fusion. He could sense the other, older Goten and Trunks duking it out with Kakarotto. The fact that they weren't dead yet was a testament to how winded the madman must have been. [Just a little bit longer an' we'll have the dragon balls.]  
  
A dark shape in the clouds caught the Saiyajin's eye and he looked up, squinting at the sun. As it grew closer and closer, he could make out the shape of two short people standing on some kind of rug. Goku grinned and slowly strode out into the middle of the courtyard to greet the young Kami and his companion. The magical flying carpet touched down and Dende hurried over to the wounded man.  
  
"Oh dear, we should have come back sooner!" the deity apologized, immediately getting to work. The soft sparkling glow of his healing powers covered the tall Saiyajin and washed away the pain from his body.  
  
When the process was complete, Goku stood up to his full height and stretched. "Yosh, that's a lot better. Sankyuu, Dende."  
  
"Is anyone else hurt?" the Namek-seijin asked, concerned.  
  
"I think lil' Goten and Trunks could use some help," he replied, looking over his shoulder. Eyebrows raising with an idea, Goku snapped his fingers. He called out to the two children, who were struggling to hold in their laughter. Half because they didn't want the Vegetas to get angry and half because it hurt. "Oi! Goten!"  
  
"Hai!" his youngest son answered.  
  
"Do you still have those Senzu?"  
  
"Um, uh, hai!"  
  
"We thought we should save them for an emergency, Goku-san!" Chibi Trunks added.  
  
"Good, hang on to them!" Turning to Dende, "I'm gonna go look for Kuririn, maybe help him get back faster." As the Kami approached the rehearsing Senshi, Goku touched two fingers to his forehead and began searching for his best friend's ki.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"I HATE SPIDERS!!" Kuririn screamed, running down a dank stone passage as one particularly large, hairy specimen chased him. The former monk slipped on a patch of muck and slid for a good thirty feet, stopped only by the dusty stone wall. He rubbed his bruised head and looked back to see the enormous tarantula bearing down on him. Kuririn scrambled to away and watched as the spider crashed through the crumbling structure. "Haha!" he said triumphantly, kicking the comatose spider in the leg. It stirred and the short man decided to beat a hasty retreat, just in time to escape the passage as it collapsed.  
  
"This is really not a good day for me," he grumbled, trying to shake dust from his shoulder length hair. Kuririn's search for a dragon ball had taken him to the ruins of a palace complex of some sort in the middle of the giant mushroom forest. It was totally flattened and judging by the colossal ape footprints, it looked like something Goku might have done as a child, when he still had his Saiyajin tail. The short warrior had to blast away a heavy metal door, revealing an underground network or passages that hadn't been demolished. As he tried to navigate the maze-like corridors of stone, Kuririn had thus far escaped from a giant snake, spider, ghosts, poison darts, malfunctioning robots, and a cave in. "I don't think this can get much worse."  
  
Kuririn carefully crept into the next area, which looked relatively harmless. Feeling he had finally gotten a break, the man made his way down the hall when a column shot out and crashed into the opposite wall. The ex-monk fell on his butt, shaking at the close call. He crawled under the column and sighed, but noticed how he seemed to be rising up now. Quickly rolling off another column before it slammed into the ceiling, Kuririn took off at a run, zigging and zagging to avoid the elaborate death trap.  
  
Finally getting to an area that was devoid of booby traps, Kuririn stopped and slumped against a wall. He sucked in a long, ragged breath, then coughed as the dusty air filled his lungs. Wiping the sweat from his brow, the short man checked his Dragon Radar. "Oi, it's right around the corner!" Smiling, Kuririn walked around and bumped into Goku. "G-goku!? What are you doing here!?" he asked, confused.  
  
"Looking for you," the Saiyajin replied. "We gotta hurry!"  
  
"But I still haven't found the dragon ball!"  
  
"Oh, it was sitting right here," Goku responded, holding it up for the former monk to see. Not hearing the grumblings of his long time friend, the taller man put a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, let's go." They disappeared.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Nonono! You have to touch your heels between each step! Don't forget to bend your knees. IIE, keep your arms _parallel_! Rrrnnnn..." Chibi Trunks gingerly touched his temples, feeling a headache coming on. Despite Yugure Vegeta's determination, he proved to be no more competent than his counterpart when it came to learning Fusion. Turning around, the young boy watched dejectedly as his father once again fell flat on his face. "See? You'll lose your balance if you do it like that! Your leg has to face the other way!"  
  
"This is NONSENSE!" Vegeta roared, rubbing his nose. He glared at the sniggering Goten and got back on his feet. "I can't believe I'm being berated by children for not dancing properly!"  
  
Yugure Vegeta rolled his eyes for the tenth time. "Just keep trying," said the older prince. Although feeling just as frustrated, at least he had more patience. [I hope I was never that bad...]  
  
Still clearly remembering his own errors, Trunks had decided to keep the two Vegetas far apart. Partly because it would waste time and energy waiting thirty minutes for the botched Fusion to expire. But mostly because seeing a horribly obese Vegeta-Fusion would incapacitate him with laughter. The purple-haired boy sat down away from the pair, carefully lining them up in his vision so it looked like they were actually dancing together. "One more time, c'mon..... That's it! Haha, yokatta!"  
  
Yugure Vegeta wiped his face with one gloved hand. "Let's not waste any time and do it right now," he said. Angry but compliant, the other man nodded. They both turned Super Saiyajin and assumed the first stance. "Ikuzo. Fuuuuuu..."  
  
"...siiiooon...."  
  
""HA!!!""  
  
Goten and Trunks prudently closed their eyes, knowing first hand how bright Fusion light could be. It passed and Trunks sighed. Covertly crossing his fingers behind his back, the older of the two hesitantly looked up to see the result. The children stared wide-eyed at the man before them. Both Vegetas exuded an undeniable air of confidence and strength, but the Fusion of both seemed to be much more than merely a combination of the two.  
  
He stood tall and proud, the typical Fusion clothes billowing in his golden aura of fire. The crest of blond spikes actually seemed to be glowing with electric power and his narrow, aquamarine eyes were casually surveying himself. 'Vegeta' looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them as he felt the undescribable power that coursed through his veins. His body too was perfect, mightier than the thickest hewn muscle but still lean and supple, lacking any of the scars his components bore. The feeling of invulnerability was almost palpable on his tongue.  
  
The mind was different too, unified yet still separate. Each Vegeta could still sense the other's presence, but they shared everything now, perfectly mixed. Their minds were completely open to each other, every memory and feeling and sensation and experience mingling together to create a single entity.  
  
""This is good,"" he said with an eerie smirk. The fused prince's voice still had that layered echo effect that Gotenks shared, but the two voices were identical to the point that it almost sounded like one person. ""This is very good.""  
  
"P-papa?" Trunks asked, apprehensively. The man looked down at him with benevolence and composure, but the boy still felt the gaze alone might drive him to his knees. "It worked...right?"  
  
""Hai. Stay here, I'll handle Kakarotto."" Wind stirred and the world around him melted together as Vegeta-Fusion stepped off of Kami's lookout. It wasn't bukujutsu, which required an expenditure of ki to push off from the ground. This was the pure speed of movement, like simply walking. It was a scant moment before the fused warrior could see the fight between the Yugure half-Saiyajin and Kakarotto.  
  
The crazed man was getting sloppy, taking blows that he should have been able to block or dodge. Goten and Trunks, experienced with being pushed beyond their means, were coping rather well with having to fight a far stronger enemy. Unable to match the sheer speed and strength of the Super Saiyajin 4 Kakarotto, the pair were striking in and out at random. Kakarotto, blinded by rage or frustrated by exhaustion, was lashing out at anything he could reach.  
  
Not ducking fast enough, Trunks took a punch to the face that flattened him in a five meter trench. The insane Saiyajin advanced and Goten had to fly in front of him to get his attention, but was grabbed by the leg as a result. He was slammed into and through the ground, then flung away and splashed down in the nearby river. Goten hurried up to the surface and pulled himself to shore, coughing to push the water from his lungs.  
  
"I'm going to tear you apart," Kakarotto snarled, flecks of spit dotting his chin. A vein bulged dangerously on his forehead. Invulnerable though he claimed to be, the Saiyajin was clearly hurting and seemed to be favoring his right side. Blood streaked down his face and chest, even staining the coarse blond fur on his arms.  
  
""Or so you say,"" the Vegeta-Fusion said with a bored tone of voice, abruptly appearing between the two warriors. He casually picked Goten up off the bank and wiped some mud of the teen's shirt. ""Go get Trunks and wait at the lookout."" The prince frowned slightly at the youth's befuddled expression. "Now!" he barked. Goten obligingly jumped and flew around the older men to retrieve his best friend.  
  
Kakarotto ignored the two, instead inspecting this new, improved Vegeta. He frowned, standing upright and pompously fluffing his golden locks. The same mocking civility returned to the madman's voice as he spoke. "So fate smiles upon the ki'koug ta for a second time. But it also delivers you into my clutches once again. Do you really think a change of clothes will help you beat me?" he scoffed. "Or are you the other one? Ha! All you weak princes look the same to me."  
  
A smirk. ""I am neither and I am both. What you see is the greatest Saiyajin warrior to ever exist, no longer a mere prince."" The fused fighter raised a hand, clenching it dramatically. ""Watashi wa Vegeta-uesama da!""  
  
"Oh ho! Then if you are the emperor--" Kakarotto assumed a battle stance "--then consider this the coup d'état!" Focusing all his hatred onto the man before him, he charged forward in a blur and his fist lanced out right at the fused Saiyajin's face. In a blink, the fusion was gone and Kakarotto crashed down on his own face. "I missed!? Uso yo!!" he cried. Kakarotto climbed to his feet, rubbing a spot on his neck where it felt like a sword had dug into his flesh. There was no cut and no blood. But a lot of pain.  
  
Emperor Vegeta turned around, relaxing his hand from a chop position. ""I'd offer you mercy for surrendering now, but you are already damned.""  
  
"DAME DA!!" Kakarotto lunged for a punch, but hit nothing but air. "YOU WON'T BEAT ME!!" A hook punch. Miss. "I'LL DESTROY YOU!!" Roundhouse kick. Miss. "I'M INVINCIBLE!!" Backhand. Miss. "I AM A GOD!!" The mad Saiyajin leaned in and delivered a straight kick, but Uesama spun low and swept Kakarotto off the ground. In the moment he spent airborne, time seemed to slow down as he saw the Vegeta-Fusion leap up above, staring down at him with unforgiving eyes.  
  
""You are hopeless."" The fused prince swung his fist, driving Kakarotto into the ground like a wrecking ball used to hammer a single nail. The rock and soil was shoved away as the impact of the madman's body dug a giant crater. Water from the river sloshed over the side and overwhelmed the screaming man with its icy grip.  
  
Minutes passed and Vegeta-uesama sensed Kakarotto's ki rise, nonchalantly watching as his foe blasted up from the watery depths. The mad Saiyajin's aura crackled like fire and super-heated the man-made lake into a roiling cloud of steam that swirled and danced in the back draft. An animal-like howl cut through the hissing vapor and the Emperor rushed forward to meet the challenge. The shockwave cleared all trace of condensation from the air and the two super fighters engaged in melee.  
  
Blows struck and missed, for the most part Vegeta-uesama's and Kakarotto's respectively. Even with his power pushed to its max, the maniac Saiyajin was proved to be the lesser of the two. Vegeta-Fusion sidestepped a swing and countered with a one-two punch to the face, following up with knee to the chest. Blood poured from between his enemy's teeth and a hand clamped down on Kakarotto's face. He struggled desperately and kicked at Uesama's head, but the fused prince caught it. Flipping the madman over, he delivered a back-breaker that made Kakarotto jackknife.  
  
Eyes glazed over in agony, the insane Saiyajin slipped out of Vegeta-uesama's grip and tumbled to the ground. He writhed in the dirt for a moment, sweat-covered face contorted in a very good impression of a suffocating fish. The Fusion warrior gracefully lowered to stand a few feet away, dust and grit blown aside as if the very ground was trying to not soil his boots. The self-proclaimed Saiyajin Emperor brushed some soot from his ebon vest, but his eyes never left the floundering maniac.  
  
Slowly, slowly Kakarotto clambered to his feet and glowered at his impossibly strong adversary. Straightening up, a long ragged breath was hissed in between his teeth. As the man's chest gradually expanded, Vegeta-uesama raised an eyebrow and thought that was an awfully long time to be inhaling. With a shout, Kakarotto opened his mouth and fired a blast of fiery ki that split the earth. The fused fighter was instantly surrounded by the flames and disappeared amidst the energy that melted rock like butter. Time passed and still the fire raged and still his opponent was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Stumbling at the effort, Kakarotto tried to catch his breath. The fight had gone on too long, but he had done it! He had proved he was invincible! And now he had a headache. "Shit," the worn madman swore. "I can *gasp*...barely think straight..." Although his mind reeled, his black heart soared as he beheld the clear blue sky. "Well, the hard part's over with. All I have to do now is--nani?" He squinted at two white streaks that appeared, stopping somewhere above Kami's lookout.  
  
All of a sudden, ominous grey storm clouds filled the sky and blotted out the Sun. Kakarotto marveled as the area was immediately engulfed in a lightning storm. The madman shook his head, trying to coerce an explanation from his muddled thoughts, but none came. Flying up, he tried to get a better view as huge bolt struck the lookout. No! It _came_ from the lookout and _into_ the sky! Kakarotto's ears were now filled with a booming roar as if from some mammoth beast. The lightning took the shape of a serpentine dragon whose impossibly long, emerald coils never- endingly stretched out from the center of the lookout.  
  
"K-kisama! Shenlong da!!" Kakarotto put two fingers to his head, but the daze of fighting the Vegeta-Fusion made it impossible for him to concentrate enough for Shunkan Idou. Furious, crimson energy gathered in the Saiyajin's hand and he pointed it up at the lookout. "Bakana...I'll kill the damn dragon before I let them make a wish!!"  
  
*CRUNCH*  
  
Kakarotto howled as his arm was twisted around at an unnatural position. Through tears of pain, he could make out the fuzzy form of an unharmed Vegeta-uesama. There wasn't a single scratch or burn on the fused man's body. ""That would be a mistake."" He wrenched the madman's arm and flung him earthward. The Emperor hovered to a point between Kakarotto and Shenlong, crossing his arms.  
  
Gaining his footing, the crazed Saiyajin massaged the hyper-extended muscles of his arm and mulled over this turn of events. "Then I'll just....just have to kill them both with one shot," he concluded like it was a simple matter. Focusing on his target, Kakarotto held out his arms and more blood-red ki gathered around them with crackling peals of electricity. Even over the din of the man powering up, the Holy Dragon's reverberating baritone could still be heard.  
  
"I SHALL GRANT THEE ANY THREE WISHES. TELL ME THY WISH, AND IT SHALL BE DONE."  
  
"HAAA!!!" Kakarotto bellowed, bringing his hands together to fire the giant bolt of red energy. With a chuckle, Vegeta-uesama ran a hand through his blond spikes, then flattened his palm at the oncoming mass of ki. The scarlet blast clashed with a golden aura in a shower of sparks and fire. The mad Saiyajin pushed with all his will, forcing his attack forward inch by inch. At last there was progress, but not the kind Kakarotto hoped for. Emperor Vegeta's aura swirled into his hands and his foe's ki followed, compressing down into a single egg-sized point of pure white light.  
  
Vegeta smirked. Kakarotto was speechless.  
  
Shenlong gave a great "HOOWWWAAAAARRR!!!" and his ruby eyes flashed. A few more points of light flashed on the lookout. "IT IS DONE. WHAT IS THY SECOND WISH?"  
  
Vegeta-uesama peered down at the tiny star in his hand and chuckled. ""I believe this is yours? Here, you can have it back."" Winding back his arm, he threw it like a baseball pitcher at his enemy below. But any ordinary baseball would disintegrate at the speed the small ki orb moved and Kakarotto couldn't dodge in time, his voice reaching a full octave higher as it drilled into his shoulder with a fresh wave of bittersweet anguish.  
  
There was no explosion, no flash of light, no enormous cloud of smoke. Only the sound of an insane man being drowned in a sea of torment. Kakarotto scrambled to his feet, clutching futilely at his blood shoulder. Just a few feet away, the Saiyajin no Uesama landed and picked up the severed arm. He made a point of inspecting the singed fur and cauterized stump, then tossed it aside.  
  
"Nnnooo," the simpering maniac moaned. "S-s-stop...dame....."  
  
"QUICKLY THEN. SHENLONG WILL NOT WAIT LONG FOR THE CONCERNS OF MORTALS."  
  
""Che! It seems you're in denial,"" the Vegeta-Fusion said while shaking his head. ""I won't stop until you're dead. Begging for lenience will get you nowhere.""  
  
"Yamero!" Kakarotto howled, ignoring him. "Damn you, Goku! Stop it! SHUT UP!!" His one remaining hand clawed at his face and hair as if trying to rip something away. [You see now?] "SHUT UP!!" [You can't win.] "SHUT UP!!!" [It's over for you!] "SHUT UP!!!!"  
  
""Tsk tsk. What a sad, pitiful creature. But you do not have my pity, Kakarotto. However, you _are_ a pain in the ass, so I'll put you out of my misery. You should be honored!" he added, aiming his arms at the frightened mass of flesh and fur. ""You will be the first and last to fall victim to Vegeta-uesama's Big Bang Flash! Aaahahahaha!!"" The fused prince's aura flared anew and the very air turned hazy with the heat given off by his gathering ki.  
  
Only a blind drive for survival managed to get Kakarotto to his feet and he tried to lurch away. A purple and white shape filled his already blurry vision and with a spray of blood, a vicious thrusting chop split the madman's chin. "Nnooo...nnnooooo...." the man lamented with a broken jaw.  
  
"Yeah, payback's a bitch," Piccolo replied as he carefully stepped past the pool of blood surrounding Kakarotto. He joined the ranks of the other Z Senshi--all of whom had lined up to either side of Emperor Vegeta--and began charging up his Makkankousappou. Goku, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Juuhachig-ou, Juunana-gou, Buu, Yugure Goten, and Yugure Trunks all followed suit by gathering energy for their strongest attacks. "All right, kid," the Namek-seijin said to his once-student at his side. "What do you say we get this over with and go home?"  
  
Gritting his teeth, Gohan smiled grimly. "Sounds like a plan."  
  
They fired.  
  
Kakarotto looked back the wall at the wall of ki that bore down on him and was rubbing his forehead raw, trying to get the Shunkan Idou to work. But the tortured soul of Kakarotto's first victim was steadfastly fighting off any chance of escape. [It ends.]  
  
*FFFWWOOOOOOOOMMM!!!!!*  
  
~~~~~  
  
"ART THOU DONE YET?" Shenlong demanded with more than a hint of impatience. "I SHALL NOT WAIT FOREVER!"  
  
"Anou, just gimme another minute!" Goku pleaded, abashed. "We've got two more wishes, so what should this one be?"  
  
"How about you reverse all the damage that was done to the planet after Kakarotto showed up?" Juunana-gou suggested behind him.  
  
If Goku was surprised that this was coming from someone who had been trying to assassinate him nine years ago, he was very good at hiding it. "That's a great idea! Maybe Chichi won't get mad at me as much if the house came back. Oi!" he called up at the giant dragon's head above him. "Can you do that? Fix Chikyuu?"  
  
The Holy Dragon 'tut'ed at the question. "A SIMPLE MATTER." His red eyes flashed again as he got to work harnessing his considerable power for the task.  
  
"You're sure you don't mind?" Juuhachi-gou asked, feeling uncharacteristically timid. "If my brother lives with us?"  
  
"Nah," Kuririn said with a wave. "You turned out good, so it doesn't bother me. As long as he doesn't try to kill anyone that is." He and the raven-haired Jinzouningen shared a hearty laugh at this, but both perfectly understood he was being completely serious.  
  
"So what was it like, Papa?" Yugure Trunks badgered his father eagerly.  
  
"That was sooooo awesome!" added Yugure Goten, playfully reenacting how Uesama had effortlessly beaten down Kakarotto (their enhanced Saiyajin vision helped them watch from the lookout). "You gotta show us how to do that!" The Son teen's best friend nodded his assent. Their younger counterparts were excitedly chatting on and on about how cool Fusion was and how much they'd like it.  
  
"Hai hai," the older prince said with more than a bit of exasperation. "When we get back."  
  
Closer to the edge of Kami's lookout, Gohan stood next to his idol, but was looking a bit dejected. "I'm sorry, Piccolo-san. I...I failed you. I didn't come to help when Kakarotto attacked..."  
  
"You have nothing to be ashamed of, kid," his mentor replied in a gruff yet fatherly voice. "By the time you would have shown up, it would be too late. Kakarotto might have even killed you earlier, before you had a chance to use your full power and strike when it counted." There was a twinkle in his narrow Namek-seijin eye. "You did good, by the way."  
  
"You were watching?"  
  
"Of course. Kaiou-sama knew something was up," he explained. "For once, I didn't have to put up with his lame jokes. Anyway, that's why I was there to pick you up. I wouldn't blame you even if you could have gotten there quick enough to save me. It would be a shame if your wild night got interrupted." The green warrior grinned toothily.  
  
Gohan blushed fiercely, "Did we make that much noise?"  
  
"Only if you know what to listen for," Piccolo chuckled, one taloned finger tapping his temple.  
  
"Oh man!" the half-Saiyajin groaned. Smacking his head with the heel of his palm, "I forgot all about her! What will I say!?"  
  
"THERE! IT IS DONE," Shenlong said in a voice that drowned out all other conversation. "NAME THY THIRD WISH."  
  
"You guys ready?" Goku asked the Yugure Senshi. They gathered together in the middle of the courtyard and Goten gave him a thumbs up. "Yosh. Shenlong! Can you send these three back to their own dimension?"  
  
A deep rumbling noise came from the dragon god's throat as if to vocalize he was thinking about it. "NORMALLY IT WOULD BE BEYOND MY CAPABILITIES." An agonizing pause. "HOWEVER, THESE THREE RESONATE WITH A HOLE IN THE FABRIC OF REALITY. SENDING THEM THROUGH SHOULD MEND THE TEAR...... I.......I SHALL TRY," he announced. There was an unnerving note of doubt in Shenlong's voice and everyone made their own silent prayers.  
  
The deep, guttural growls of the Holy Dragon made everyone wince. It seemed to span on and on, filling the air with his audible efforts. At last, they could see the first signs of the wish coming true. Reality seemed to crimp and turn in on itself above the three Yugure Senshi, forming a black void-like space reminiscent of when Kakarotto had forced his full power up too quickly. Goten could feel himself being lifted off his feet and he leaned back, eyes closed. It wasn't like the first time, when the pains of battle felt they wouldn't end as he crossed the bridge between dimensions. This time, a cool sensation washed over his body before he finally blacked out.  
  
The Z Senshi watched in awe as the blackness disappeared like clearing smoke and it was over. Chibi Goten waved goodbye, trying hard not to cry. Goku laughed and scooped up his youngest son in a big hug.  
  
"AND THUS, THY THIRD WISH HAS BEEN FULFILLED. UNTIL NEXT TIME, SON GOKU," Shenlong said with a hint of annoyance. He apparently didn't appreciate the extra work the Son man had made for him these past few decades. "SARABADA!" The Holy Dragon disappeared in a dazzling flash of white. The dragon balls glowed with orange light and they rose high into the now clear sky, disappearing in a crack of thunder.  
  
"Heh heh! Jaa ne, Shenlong!" Goku waved merrily. "Hmm, I gotta remember go get Suushinchuu once the dragon balls recharge. Ya know, now that we got all these radars. For old time's sake, ne?"  
  
"How about we just get them all together and summon Shenlong again?" Kuririn suggested, making everyone turn to look at him. "Then we could wish for everyone to forget that Mr. Satan ever died. I mean, Kami forbid that he has another brainstorm and cons the world into thinking he conquered death too!"  
  
The entire assemblage had a good laugh at this, even the incurably grumpy Vegeta. Goku bent down and picked up one of the Dragon Radars that had been carelessly tossed aside. "What d'ya say? Our next adventure!" 


	33. Episode 33

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume V -- Evil, Revisited  
  
Episode 33 -- The Return Home!! But Yesterday Won't Go Away!!  
  
In the boundless void that is the Dead Zone, dwelt something long forgotten. It flitted about as a shadow in the lightless gloom. It fed on the corpses of the dead, never decaying but always rotten, that roamed this zero-gravity environment like restless zombies. It was the king of a non-world, ruler of the ruined.  
  
He squatted low on a suspended turret, muttering, plotting, scheming. He was wrapped in the tatters of once noble garments, its own appearance ignored for years. "There must be a way, there must be a way," he repeated. The being's small, raspy voice went on and on in a never-ending mantra. ""There must be a way, there must be a way..."  
  
*clunk*  
  
A sound, something hard tapping against rock.  
  
*ca-lunk-ku*  
  
The Lord of the Dead Zone raised his head slowly, his face set in an expression of disbelief. Beady eyes peered about, as if the creature could not believe what his long, pointy ears had heard. Nothing caused sound here, nothing! But no...there was....long ago, or not; time was meaningless. But he remembered about one time, it sounded like a fight. Thumps, crashes, and voices. Eerily familiar voices. The being quickly stood up straight. Could it be? Could the loser have remained here, in the Dead Zone?  
  
He leapt from island to island, drawing ever closer to the echoless clunking. Small but strong hands scrambled on rocks and dirt as he climbed around a strip of land, revealing the impossible source. There! Faint memories welled up in the his mind, recognizing the strange beast before him. It looked like a mass of amorphous fur, several thick tentacles writhing under a knobby carapace. Apparently lacking sight, or even a head--none could be seen--it continually crawled into an obstructing stone; the source of the sounds.  
  
[A kleag'rohsn,] his mind told him. It was a stupid beast that had the habit of assimilating the physical and mental attributes of its prey. Most lost this ability with the first feeding and as a result, many of Makyo-sei's fauna were hideous monsters. [Makyo-sei...my homeland,] thought the kingdomless king. He stood as tall as his short body was able and shouted, drawing the attention of the kleag'rohsn.  
  
"I! I AM GARLIC JR!" he crowed in triumph, the demon's blue fists raised high. Commanded by its instincts, the kleag'rohsn pounced on him and Garlic Jr felt the first pangs of the beast's absorbing abilities. "I think not," he said confidently. Instead of becoming weaker, strength flooded into his tiny frame. "I am the immortal king! You shall become my prey. Ah ha ha ha ha!"  
  
The demon's shrill cackle sounded flat and muted as it carried across the limitless expanse. There must be a way. There is always a way.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Elsewhere, in the land of mortals, a different kind of void was just closing. The swirling mass of pitch black clouds and silver lightning gradually shrank and disappeared, but not before spitting out its three passengers with a crack of thunder. They plummeted down into the forest, breaking through the canopy with a crash. A flock of crows took off, expressing their disapproval with angry caws.  
  
"..uuhhh....itai," Goten groaned. The teen had landed in some bushes that, while breaking his fall, were also a bit too thorny for comfort. He fought with the brambly branches for a couple minutes, untangling them from his clothes and hair. By the time the youngest half-Saiyajin successfully wrestled out of the brush, there were many scratches adorning his face and arms, but he didn't appear to care. "Home again, home again, jiggety jig!" he laughed, doing a little dance. "Damn it's good to be back! Oi, Trunks-kun! OI!!"  
  
"I hear ya!" came the reply. The lavender-haired youth jogged out from behind a boulder and tripped in a narrow brook, splashing mud on his pants. Stepping out, he tried to kick off the muck, then shrugged. "Oh well," he said with a smile. His clothes were a little dusty and there was a tear in his shirt, but Trunks seemed to be unharmed as well.  
  
Goten hurried forward and pounced on his friend with a rowdy hug. "HaHA! I think it worked!"  
  
"Oh, I certainly hope so. Papa!" Trunks called. "Doko ka?"  
  
Not a second later, Vegeta's gloved hands appeared in a nearby tree and the Saiyajin no Ouji expertly swung out of the foliage. "Yo," he replied. He looked a little annoyed, having to pick some twigs and leaves out of his spiky crown of hair. Ignoring the happy faces of the two half-Saiyajin, Vegeta rose off the ground and hovered up above the tops of the trees. While his charges gabbed, he surveyed the area in order to determine their location. The damage from the first fight with Kakarotto could be clearly seen not far away. "It looks like we're back in the Paozu Mountains," he said aloud.  
  
"I'm going to go look for my sword," Trunks said, flying up next to his father. "Kakarotto flipped it into the forest." The prince dismissed his son with nod and Trunks sped away.  
  
Below, Goten sat down on the grass and leaned back, soaking in the mid-day sun. The air was warm, the grass was cool, and all was right with the world. "Ah, now for a well deserved oompf!"  
  
"'Oompf'?" Vegeta asked, raising an eyebrow. He turned, looking back down at the ground. "Oh.."  
  
"Goten-saaaaan!" Paresu squealed from her place on Goten's chest. Appearing out of thin air thanks to the Shunkan Idou, she latched onto the young man and was now wringing his neck. "Where'd you go!?"  
  
"Ah.. Anou, Paresu-chan--"  
  
"Son Goku is dead," Vegeta interrupted. He touched down beside the two and crossed his arms sternly, though his voice carried no malice.  
  
"Goku-sama..?" Paresu dead-panned, her eyes darting between the two men. The prince returned her look bravely, his ebon orbs almost looking apologetic. Goten, disquieted, hung his head and his face was obscured by long, raven bangs. The brunette on his chest smiled weakly and brushed the hair from her boyfriend's eyes. "Heh, you could..use a haircut, Goten-san.."  
  
"She's in denial," the older Saiyajin muttered to himself.  
  
"Don't change the subject!" the half Saiyajin said thickly, meeting Paresu's gaze. He stood and made her stand with him, the young man's movements short and brusque. "It was a..a battle and.... See, tousan fought hard to protect me and Trunks-kun and Vegeta-san. And you too..."  
  
"He never gave up fighting," Vegeta added. "It was a warrior's death."  
  
Though her eyes were wet with tears, Paresu didn't utter a single sob. Instead, she listened intently as the two Saiyajin tried to explain the past few days events. Not too far away, Trunks landed in the clearing where old Son Gohan's house was. He had spotted a gleam in the trees and descended to search on foot.  
  
The sheath, dropped and forgotten in the fight, was lying near the well. Aside from a little weathering, it was in decent condition and the lavender-haired teen slung it over his back. He found his beloved sword not five meters into the trees, rammed clean through a tree branch. Some twigs and leaves lay in the grass below, having been sheared off as the razor sharp blade spiraled into the forest. One good yank was all it took to dislodge it and Trunks carefully wiped away some spots of dried bird pooh.  
  
While inspecting the blade to check for possibly troublesome fractures, a chill breeze swept across the area. Trunks looked up, startled. Something, someone, was there..for just a moment. Sheathing his sword, the elder half-Saiyajin faced the sky and bowed slightly. "Sayonara, Goku-san."  
  
A few minutes later, Trunks returned to find Goten and Paresu hugging tightly under the shade of a fir tree. He landed softly next to his father. "You told her?" he whispered.  
  
"Only what she needed to know," Vegeta replied. "I don't completely believe what happened either, so trying to tell her about something I don't even understand is unnecessary."  
  
"I wish we could have saved Goku-san," the prince's son responded, shaking his head. "It's a shame he had to die with Kakarotto."  
  
Vegeta turned, staring up at the wispy clouds that seemed to hang in an otherwise clear blue sky. "Kakarotto wasn't even a person. He was a memory that should have stayed forgotten. Goku may be dead, but..Kakarotto no longer exists, in this world or the next." As Trunks looked away, towards his friends, the Saiyajin no Ouji smirked and raised a hand as if saying farewell.  
  
High above, amidst those few meager clouds, was a small mass of golden fluff. Though his body was slain in the other world, Goku's soul still had ties on Chikyuu and remained in the mortal world. Whisked through the temporal rift with the other Yugure Senshi, he remained long enough to make sure everything would be all right. They would all grieve of course, but there was no immediate danger.  
  
[Chikyuu-okaasama,] Goku thought. [I guess I gotta go now. An' I'll miss ya, but you're in good hands now. Bai bai...] His last ties to his home loosened, Goku's soul soared up and up and up. But he didn't ascend into space, instead being pulled into the Anoyo where other such souls waited at the Enma's checkpoint. The Saiyajin had died once before, but it wasn't like this. Back then, he knew he would be going back. But this time, it was permanent.  
  
~~~~~  
  
After a time, Goku became aware of his surroundings again and found himself in the middle of the enormous line leading into Enma's checkpoint. Although it normally hurried along, it had slowed to a crawl due to some commotion at the front. A moment later, the entire line of souls in front of Goku spread apart as if making way for someone of great importance. He hesitated, looking down the now clear path. The soul behind him gave a nudge and Goku moved forward nervously, feeling like the world's eyes were on him.  
  
Finally, Goku made it up to the check point and floated past the magnificently huge gates. Waiting for him inside were two familiar faces. The giant oni lord Enma appeared rather ill at ease, fidgeting slightly where he stood next to the diminutive North Kaiou. Goku was surprised to see his once teacher leave his personal planet at the end of Snake Way, but the sober look on the deity's blue, catfish-like face told the Saiyajin that he was not here to tell jokes.  
  
"Kaiou-sama, what's goin' on?" the dead Saiyajin asked.  
  
Kaiou took a step forward and cleared his throat. "I'm afraid there are some complications that need to be addressed."  
  
"Uh, I don't get it.."  
  
"Neither do I, my boy. Come along now, I'll explain on the way." Kaiou turned and walked towards the gate to Jigoku, leaving Goku and Enma to follow him like lost, confused puppies. "Enma-sama and his staff have uncovered something peculiar in their files. The records for several souls have been jumbled together. Normally this would be a simple misfiling and quickly corrected, but among them were your files and those of many of your associates. Considering all the things you've been mixed up in, Goku, I immediately suspected more than a simple clerical error."  
  
"Oookay," Goku said slowly, trying to absorb all that. "So what do we hafta do to fix it?"  
  
North Kaiou stopped and paused. "I have no idea. But Enma-sama here has a plan."  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Kaiou-sama." Turning to Goku, the giant bearded oni gestured at a bizarre contraption just beyond the gate of Jigoku. A steady stream of rowdy souls were being herded into one end to be sucked into its complicated mechanics. "You see, Son-san, we use this machine to cleanse villainous souls of all their evil. Jigoku is really just a holding pen where cleansed souls wait to be reincarnated and get another chance to live a virtuous life."  
  
Goku's spirit form bobbed slightly, as if nodding.  
  
"Ahem, anyway. We think that these other missing souls are fused with yours and I thought that maybe going through the machine would break the bonds that held you together. With any luck, a dozen or so other souls should pop out with you at the other end."  
  
Goku eyed the imposing machine warily. Gears, cogs, and pistons of all shape and size worked together, creating an awful racket. As souls entered, a thick and disgusting purple ichor--presumably liquefied evil--sloshed into large glass jars. "I've..gotta go...in there..?"  
  
"Shinpai shinai!" Enma reassured him. "Without a body, you won't feel a thing. Go on, go on!" The judge of the afterlife gave Goku a little shove which, considering his size, had enough force to propel the Saiyajin into the machine's intake.  
  
Goku's soul went through its paces, being subjected to all manner of cleansing, though not a dribble of evil was extracted. Suddenly, the contraption gave a tremendous jump, screeching and sizzling with a shower of white sparks. Maintenance oni rushed about, frantically checking to make sure everything was in order and the precious contraption didn't blow up. Finally it ceased and there was a grinding sound, then a dozen souls were shot out the exit, landing in a cloudy heap.  
  
North Kaiou blinked and readjusted his glasses. "Ah, Enma-sama? Would you mind giving all these souls a slightly more corporeal form?"  
  
Enma Daiou looked to his superior with a start and began to sweat. "D-demo, that's a lot of paperwork, especially for so many..."  
  
"Oh, can't you just snap your fingers or something?" the blue god demanded. "It would certainly help clear up this mess a bit faster."  
  
The giant oni sighed in defeat. He squeezed his eyes shut as if frightened, raised his car-sized hand, and indeed snapped his fingers. There was a flash of light for each of the souls and when it was gone, there was now a tangled pile of creatures from a variety of races. Instantly, the noise level in the palace rose to a clamor, more oni in a rainbow of colors rushed to and fro in a panic. Enma's personal assistant fainted.  
  
Goku, sitting atop the pile, quickly jumped off. Recognizing various limbs, he began pulling the mass of people apart. "K-kuririn!"  
  
The short man blinked, still feeling a little fuzzy. "Goku? Oi, Goku!" The two friends embraced warmly.  
  
"How'd you get here?" Goku asked. As everyone stood, the Saiyajin face lit up in a wide grin. "And Piccolo? Roshi? Gohan!"  
  
"Otousan!" cried the boy, leaping into his father's arms.  
  
Just aways, Kaiou and a bemused Enma Daiou watched the reunion. "I..I don't understand, Kaiou-sama.. How did all those souls get jammed together?"  
  
The Lord of the Worlds shrugged. "Even I don't know everything, my friend. But what I do know is that we need to take care of these other hapless beings."  
  
While the Z Senshi had gathered together, several other creatures of varying species remained, sitting in a stupor. Some were very gaunt, as if on the brink of death--ironic, considering they were already. Each had a dull, glazed over expression. Except one, the small bone white being standing upright, shakily. His tail was at first still, then began to roll in a steady, rhythmic manner.  
  
"F-Freeza da!?" Piccolo growled, assuming a fighting stance. The shape-shifter reacted to the sound of his name and would have pounced to attack had he not been seized by several burly oni. "Why would he be here? Could it be.." the Namek-seijin thought aloud.  
  
"What's up?" Goku queried as the guards wrestled Freeza through the gate to Jigoku.  
  
"It might be possible that..all of us, and these guys, got into you through Nagareboshi," Piccolo replied. "It wasn't often when I could feel myself in It, but there was always the feeling of a presence."  
  
The Saiyajin held his chin thoughtfully, Gohan perched on his shoulders. "When we were in that Dead Zone, I felt something. Like a surge of ki, kinda."  
  
"Maybe that was us?" his son offered.  
  
While the assemblage debated the circumstances of their astonishing reunion, one of the dull-faced aliens slipped away. The tiny man's sharp blue features, though worn, were stretched tight in a grimace. His mind raced with thought, renewed by his release. For all the decades he had been locked in that kleag'rohsn, he alone managed to keep his wits about him. Skirting around swarming oni and slipping into the shadows, he crouched down out of sight and quickly formulated a plan.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Sunken into the plush velvet cushions of his throne, Amatsu Mikaboshi seethed. The earthy fragrance of a honjozo- shu sake wafted out of his goblet, the sweet rice wine swirling around with the motion of his hand. Things were not going as planned. Despite the seriousness of his previous trangression, the other gods could not truly punish him, but the dark lord did suffer a severe penalty in their game. All would seem lost, had the evil god been any less observant. He was certainly not one to over-look the details and though his ultimate plan had failed, an unexpected ace had dropped right into his lap.  
  
There is always a way. 


	34. Episode 34

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume V -- Evil, Revisited  
  
Episode 34 -- Break Out!! The Calamity in Hell!!  
  
"Now pay attention. It's like this......and this...aaand that, done."  
  
"This really is harder than it looks. You ready, Goten-kun?"  
  
"Yosh! One more time!"  
  
"Fuuuuuu..."  
  
"...siiiooon...."  
  
""HA!!!""  
  
Paresu slipped on her sunglasses again, though it provided little defense from the brilliant flash. This was their fourth try and despite the pair's excellent teamwork and coordination, Goten and Trunks just couldn't seem to pull of a successful Fusion. So far, they had ended up with an extremely portly Gotenks, a thin and frail Gotenks, and a Gotenks with--quite frighteningly--a few too many limbs. The young woman tried very hard not to laugh in anticipation of their next goof up.  
  
Finally, the light dimmed and the wind died down. ""Anou...I don't think it worked,"" Gotenks said in a high pitched voice. Paresu hesitantly looked up, was stunned for a moment, and dissolved into a fit of giggles. ""Oi, oi! Stop laughing, it's not funny!""  
  
"What the hell did you do wrong this time!?" the prince cried in outrage. Vegeta's hands were practically tearing the hair from his head and he looked like he was about to have a coronary.  
  
Gotenks--looking quite cross--shrugged, her generous bosom bouncing slightly with the motion. ""How should I know? I thought we did it right.""  
  
"Oh, I don't know," Paresu tried to say between choking laughs. "You could always use your new..er..'attributes' to stun enemies into submission."  
  
The once-man looked down the front of her pants to inspect the damage. Going pale, ""G-good thing this isn't permanent...""  
  
Vegeta turned around the thumped his head against a tree in an effort to knock himself out. "Why me?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
A small shape dashed from behind a potted plant to underneath an unoccupied desk, then squeezed past some inattentive clerks to hide in the shadow of an enormous column. It was the elusive little fellow from before, trying to stay out of sight while wracking his brain for answers. Agile of mind though he may be, spending several centuries locked up in Nagareboshi's unconscious did not help to clear one's thoughts.  
  
Crouching down, he watched the various oni going about their business and seemed to recall an image from his mind. Others like himself, running errands in..a castle? Was he a servant? No...a courier..but for whom? His name was...Basil..yes, Basil. He was..a courier for...for the Demon Lord, Garlic Junior! It was all coming back; Basil had been sent to take a message to Garlic Senior at the castle on Makyo-sei when he heard something strange in the bushes. Knowing full well the dangers that lie in the demon world wilderness, he was accosted by a ravenous kleag'rohsn. It was the creature that came to be called Nagareboshi that had attacked him.  
  
[But where is Garlic Junior-sama?] Basil thought desperately. He could still pick out things from his time in Nagareboshi's mind. Thoughts and memories that weren't his own, that told him things he hadn't known. Something about Garlic Junior..in..the Dead Zone!? Basil himself didn't have the power to open a door to the Dead Zone, but the Namek-seijin's mind had revealed something else. The father, Garlic, was defeated in his efforts to become Kami of Chikyuu and was locked away within the Tenkai.  
  
Garlic would be far more accessible, but how to return to the land of the living? Even though Basil had his body back, he was still dead. Could he go back, regardless? The entrance to the checkpoint--where souls arrived from the mortal plane--was heavily guarded by fierce oni. He would need a diversion..or better yet, help....  
  
Basil lurked along the wall, then slipped through the gate to Jigoku. On the other side, some oni mechanics were fixing the cleanser while the line of souls started to back up. Off to the side, a very angry Freeza leaned against the wall. Although he stood alone, there were many guards in the area and escape was impossible, not that he had anywhere to escape to. Basil crept closer, ducking behind a stack of spare gears.  
  
"Psst, you there!" Basil hissed. Freeza's head snapped up and he looked around. "Don't react, just listen! You look like you want to get out of here as much as me. What do you say to a collaboration?"  
  
Turning away from the voice, the shape-shifter tried to act like he was still alone. "And what would one who cowers in the shadows have to offer myself?" he murmured in a low, dangerous tone. "Why should I, Freeza-sama, trust some unknown peasant?"  
  
Basil tried hard not to cry out in indignation and let the insult slide. "Because we both want to return to the world of mortals, correct?" The planet pirate nodded ever so slightly and the demon continued. "I can move unseen. If I create a diversion to let you escape, will you help me go there?"  
  
Freeza made of show of looking bored and yawned. "Very well, your offer is acceptable. Make it quick, I tire of this place."  
  
With that, Basil slunk away. Around the corner, he found a storage area of giant jars. Some were empty and yet others were filled to the brim with the thick slime of liquefied evil. Near the soul cleanser, a young oni listening to a portable CD player was dancing around while changing a full jar for an empty one. Basil chuckled to himself hurried to catch up to the oni, who was now carrying the fill jar over to the others. The small demon quickly tripped the youth, making him drop the jar.  
  
"Ut oh," the young oni groaned. The jar shattered on the hard ground, spilling out all the essence within. It swept up the other jars and shattered them as well, the combined tidal wave of evil crashed down in a torrent upon Jigoku. Basil watched with glee as it washed over oni and souls, mutating them into nightmarish creatures that started going on a rampage. In fact, many of the once villainous spirits grew and reshaped, apparently regaining their physical forms--and all their prior maliciousness.  
  
On the other side of the cleanser machine, the guard oni were having a fit. Many others rushed in to help contain the beasts and everyone was in a panic. Freeza took the opportunity to blast a ki bolt at the ceiling, causing a cave in that separated him from his captors. "Excellent work, little one!" he said, flying over to pick the demon up by his shirt. "This will be more than enough..."  
  
Freeza paused and Basil squirmed around, looking over his shoulder. "What is it!? Let's get going already!"  
  
"Just a moment," Freeza responded, his face twisting into a grin. He spotted several familiar faces in the distance. "There are some comrades of mine I wish to accompany us on our glorious return to life." Despite the small demon's arguments, his tyrant 'partner' flew down into the chaos of Jigoku.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Atop Kami's lookout, the young deity Dende shuddered as he felt a great disturbance in the here after. Before him, the small statue of Shenlong lay unfinished. The Namek-seijin boy was still trying to repair it and much remained in crumbled pieces, but he feared it's completion might not come soon enough.  
  
~~~~~  
  
West Capital's Main Street was one of the few areas that escaped destruction by Nagareboshi all those years ago and remained today as a bustling center of commerce. If anything, it had become even more important to the citizens of the city during this time of reconstruction. Everyday, the street was flooded with people: shoppers trying to catch the latest bargain, families on vacation, even lovers on a midday stroll.  
  
One couple in particular just stepped out of an ice cream parlor, their lavender-haired friend trailing along just behind. "You know, I really feel like a third wheel here..." Trunks murmured, taking a sip from his lemon smoothie. Paresu was content with just a strawberry cone while Goten--true to his heritage--had the little-bit-of-everything Chubby Hubby.  
  
"Oi! Don't be like that, Trunks-kun!" Paresu grinned. The brunette was currently glomped onto Goten's arm, whom--for what appeared to be a first--didn't seem to mind. "It's real sweet of you guys to try and cheer me up."  
  
"I felt bad about how broken up you were over tousan's death," Goten replied with a sigh. "We thought it would be a good idea to have a day on the town and just hang out." Trunks nodded his assent.  
  
"Like I said, sweet." Paresu stood on her toes to peck Goten on the cheek, then let go of him long enough to do the same for Trunks, eliciting a blush from the older half-Saiyajin.  
  
"Ha ha, hai. It's the least we could do," lavender-haired teen said, laughing nervously.  
  
Though Goten was smiling, his eyes turned towards his best friend in a glare. [Don't get any ideas, buddy.]  
  
[A-anou, no ideas here!] Trunks responded mentally, a giant sweatdrop rolling off the back of his head.  
  
"But to be honest," Paresu continued unaware, "I don't think I could be any happier after..erm...'training'..this morning," she said with a grin. The brunette brushed some hair from her brow and peered up at her boyfriend, who was making a point to look away. "I wonder who's fault that was?"  
  
Goten coughed into his hand. "Hai, I wonder..."  
  
Paresu hung her head, feigning a pout. "Actually, I was kind jealous... You guys were bigger than me," she added, placing her hands on her breasts. Trunks promptly had a nosebleed and walked into a lamp post. "Trunks-kun!" the girl cried. She and Goten knelt by the dazed Saiyajin's side.  
  
"Oorroooo...." the older man groaned. Other pedestrians gave the trio an odd look and stepped around them.  
  
There was the sound of an approaching motor, which came to a stop at the curb next to them. "Who are you harassing this time, imoutochan?"  
  
Paresu looked up at the voice and smiled. "Manoru-niichan! Aren't you one duty?"  
  
"Eh," he shrugged. "The crime rate's a lot lower here, so I doubt anyone'll miss me for five minutes." Manoru leaned forward on the handlebars of his patrol cycle and took off his wide, reflective sunglasses. Just like Paresu, her older brother had chocolate brown hair, but his was short and combed in an Elvis-style pompador. He was casually dressed in a t-shirt and blue jeans. Aside from the West Capital Police 4th Precinct patch on his bomber jacket, he really didn't look like a cop. "So, I finally get to meet your boyfriend," he said, extending his hand.  
  
"Um, that's Trunks-kun," Paresu corrected him.  
  
Clearing his throat, "Of course. Hajimemashite, Goten-kun!"  
  
The raven-haired half-Saiyajin shook his hand gratefully. "Likewise. But, I thought you lived in Central Capital?" Goten blinked, looking down as Manoru cowered on his knees. "Oh, shimatta!!" he yelped and quickly let go of the older man's hand.  
  
Manoru cringed. "You've got....quite a..grip there," he chuckled. Looking up at his sister, "You didn't tell him?"  
  
"Oh! That's right!" Paresu replied with a snap of her fingers. "Goten-kun, while you guys were gone, oniichan thought it might be best if we moved here."  
  
"She disappeared everyday to wait for you at Capsule Corp," Manoru explained. He took out a comb and tended to the gentle crest of his hair. "And I figured I could use a change of scenery, so..."  
  
"Well, it's great to have you two so close by now," Goten smiled. "I hope you like it here, Manoru-kun. Ne, Trunks-kun?"  
  
The lavender-haired teen was still sitting cross-legged on the sidewalk, but didn't appear to be concentrating on the conversation. His gaze was directed up, to the south, and his face was set in a serious expression. "Do you sense something over there...or is it just me?"  
  
The Son boy stood, looking in the same direction. "Now that you mention it, it does feel like there's someone there."  
  
"Isn't that over by Capsule Corp?" Paresu asked, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the sun.  
  
"Uh, what are you talking about?" Manoru queried. He turned his head and looked up, but could see nothing but blue. He reached into a side pouch on his cycle and took out a pair of binoculars, then scanned the skyline.  
  
"It's a strong ki," Trunks murmured. "But I can't tell if their hiding it or..."  
  
"There!" Manoru exclaimed. "Huh... Looks like a big guy wearing some kinda costume. White with big yellow flaps..."  
  
"Sounds like an old-style fighting jacket," Goten wondered.  
  
"Maybe it's just Vegeta-san doing some training?" Paresu suggested.  
  
"I think I would know my own father's ki," Trunks corrected. "That's definitely not him."  
  
Goten nodded in agreement. "We know his power too well and that's _not_ jisan. Let's go check it out, Trunks-kun." Both teens hovered up a few feet and to Manoru's credit, he didn't freak out. "Wait here, Paresu-chan."  
  
"Ha! Fat chance," she responded. The brunette floated up next to him and stared at the young man dead on. "You're not leaving me behind again."  
  
"Oi, imoutochan!" Manoru called. "I know you're a big girl now, but...you're still my lil' sister, so take care of yourself. Na?"  
  
"Wakatta!" Paresu saluted. "Jaa, oniichan!" She and the two half-Saiyajin flew off.  
  
On his patrol cycle, Manoru leaned forward and lit a cigarette. Down the road, some punk knocked down an old woman and ran off with her purse. The young cop raised his kick stand and gunned the engine. "Oi oi, kids these days."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Hovering a few hundred feet over Capsule Corporation, a large bald man glared down at the golden domes. This was rich; the Saiyajin no Ouji was playing house maid. How could the prince of a noble warrior race sink so low? Then again, how could the prince of a noble warrior race betray his most trusted ally? Nappa adjusted one of his gauntlets and tried very hard not to get carried away in anticipation. "That treacherous dog," he muttered. "I'll return the favor and drag him back with me into Hell!"  
  
The undead Saiyajin gave a feral growl as he gathered his ki. A red aura rose off his overly-muscular body and electricity sparked out from his hand. "HHHEEEEEAAAAAAAAHH!!!" he roared, swinging his arm down. A great arc of ki formed and descended on the compound. Nappa laughed as he could hear the frightened screams of the citizens below. "Die! Die, prince of a dead race!! You'll be seeing your subjects shortly!!"  
  
Just before it would have exploded, Nappa's ki blast slowed to a stop above the ground. It shook violently, then shot up into the sky where it could detonate harmlessly. The bald Saiyajin shielded his eyes from the light and stared hard down at a new figure. The Saiyajin no Ouji rose up to meet his former comrade, his arms crossed and looking for all the world completely unsurprised a dead man had just tried to murder him. "Nappa."  
  
"So the traitor remembers me?" the larger man said. "I thought he might have forgotten his most loyal soldier. I would have assumed that living with these weakling ningen would have rotted your mind and power. A shame," he smirked.  
  
Not a moment later, Trunks, Goten, and Paresu arrived. "Papa! What's going on!?" the lavender-haired teen demanded.  
  
"Who is this guy?" Goten asked, jamming a thumb in Nappa's direction. "Want us to take care of him for ya?" Behind the Son boy's back, Paresu made a face and flipped off the muscle-bound Saiyajin.  
  
"Are you going to let these brats fight for you?" the bald man guffawed. "What a fall from grace!"  
  
"Do yatte, Nappa?" Vegeta asked, unfazed. His tone was sober, but his eyes still glistened with surprise and anger.  
  
"Of all people, Freeza brought me back with him to the world of the living." Nappa spat at the name and grimaced. "The butcher of my people...but at least he was kind enough to grant me a chance at revenge. I won't waste it on words!!" The bald man lunged in with a punch.  
  
Obviously not anticipating that his prince had grown far stronger with time, Nappa had no idea what he was getting into. Vegeta dodged without effort and did so for every following strike as well, but never broke eye contact. "Woe is the eternal soul that is restless with mortal troubles."  
  
"Have you become a poet as well as a coward!?" Nappa taunted. His giant ham fist hurtled towards the prince's face.  
  
Vegeta caught it almost too easily. "Iie..just a bit wiser," he smirked. 


	35. Episode 35

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume V -- Evil, Revisited  
  
Episode 35 -- Enemies Returned from the Dead!? Send Them Back, Z Soldiers!!  
  
"Have you become a poet as well as a coward!?" Nappa taunted. His giant ham fist hurtled towards the prince's face.  
  
Vegeta caught it almost too easily. "Iie..just a bit wiser," he smirked. He gave Nappa's arm a twist that shattered all the bones in his arm.  
  
"Chikusho!" Nappa swore. His right arm now hung at a painfully unnatural angle.  
  
As the giant Saiyajin cradled his useless limb, Vegeta grabbed him by his fighting jacket. The prince's knee pierced the older man's armor, digging into his chest and splitting the sternum. Nappa's breaths came in wet bloody gasps, but he fought on. He swung out his remaining arm and hit nothing but air. Vegeta swiftly appeared behind Nappa and a fist between the bulky Saiyajin's shoulder blades snapped his spine. The giant would have fallen from the sky if not for the prince's fingers around his vertebrae.  
  
Blood poured from Nappa's mouth. "You sonuvabitch..not again.."  
  
"Learn from your mistakes, Nappa," Vegeta declared regally. The three teens hovering nearby watched in morbid fascination as the Saiyajin no Ouji hurled his crumbled subject into the air. "Perhaps in the next life, you'll be spared this pain." He raised a hand and jammed two fingers in Nappa's direction, causing the giant man to explode in a cloud of ash.  
  
There was silence for a few minutes and Vegeta turned, looking toward the northwest. "Papa," Trunks finally said. "Who was that man?"  
  
"Somebody I had killed once before," the prince replied. "And it seems he wasn't alone. There," he added, pointing at the horizon.  
  
"More...zombies?" Goten asked perplexed.  
  
"I think we can handle some measly undead," Paresu said confidently.  
  
"But where did they come from?" the lavender-haired teen asked.  
  
"Hell," his father answered. "And that's where we're sending them back. Ikuzo." A white aura ignited around Vegeta and he took off towards the western forests. Goten, Trunks, and Paresu had no choice but to follow and rushed to catch up.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Goku hurled aside a giant splintered timber, letting it crash out of the way of his fellow diggers. No one had been prepared for Freeza's escape and many souls and oni had been buried under rubble. The Z Senshi were quick to provide their assistance and made up the majority of the rescue attempt, disassembling the crumbled building. The Son man rolled over a heavy chunk of stone column, freeing a shaken spirit.  
  
Higher up, Gohan was trying to clear away the top of the pile and see what was happening on the other side. The boy flung away some shingles, revealing a twitching red arm coated in some dark-colored goo. "Hang on, I'll help you!" the young half-Saiyajin said, pulling on the appendage.  
  
Suddenly, the oni exploded out of the rubble with a ferocious roar. He was dripping with ichor and--save for his left arm--was covered with boils and knobby horns. His horribly mutated face was twisted in a howl and long fangs dripped with slime. The twisted oni swung a massive clawed fist at Gohan and slashed open the front his gi. Gohan stumbled back and fired a ki bolt at the beast, blasting off a chunk of its chest. However, the mutated oni took the blow and pressed on.  
  
It reached for the half-Saiyajin with its spiny limb and Piccolo's hand clamped down on the sinewy limb. It was too slow to counter the Namek-seijin's knee to the face and the green senshi followed up with an open-handed blow to the chest that stunned the monster. A final ki blast vaporized its head. "What _is_ this thing?" Piccolo asked, letting the once-oni's arm drop. "Enma-sama! What's going on here?"  
  
The giant red oni wiped his brow of sweat. Even the Lord of Judgement had rolled up his sleeves to help. "It's worse than I thought," he said breathlessly. "That poor man was coated in the essence of evil. If there are any others like that, then they are already lost."  
  
"Kuso," Goku swore. "We gotta get over there and help them out!"  
  
"Oi! Goku-kun!" Yamucha called. He was on the other side of the pile, near a wall. He was helping a pair of wounded--but unmutated--oni out of the rubble. The group gathered around the scarred man, discovering a heavy beam that was proped up against the wall. It was sturdy enough to hold back the rubble on top and made a space big enough for an adult to squeeze through. "Maybe we can get through here?"  
  
"Then let's do it!" the Saiyajin said.  
  
"Just a moment," Enma interrupted. "I fear that the evil essence we have extracted from villainous souls may have spread to more than just that one man. It has the power to warp bodies, souls, and even the landscape into a dangerous place. If you're going through there, be prepared for battle."  
  
"We have to go," Tenshinhan responded. One by one, the Z Senshi slipped under the beam.  
  
"I'm going too, tousan," Gohan said. "I'm strong enough to help."  
  
His father smiled proudly. "Yosh."  
  
~~~~~  
  
An ill wind blew through the rocky hills of Sector A2. It was as if the breath of the Devil himself swept across the desert landscape, driving its vagrant inhabitants into hiding. It is here, where his brother and father attempted to avenge him, that Freeza and his cohorts have returned to the mortal world.  
  
The shape-shifter stood atop a slender peak of stone, slowly letting himself readjust to Life after being locked in Nagareboshi's subconscious. The feel of the biting wind on his skin and the sharp rocks beneath his feet were a feast of sensations to the reanimated warlord. It was wonderful to experience such things again and Freeza decided he would celebrate by destroying the planet.  
  
Beside the ferocious alien, the demon Basil was clinging desperately to the rocks. His tiny hands clambered for a better grip, for fear of falling. "Is this really necessary?" Basil demanded. "I have no time to waste! I need you to take me to--"  
  
"Excuse me," Freeza interrupted. His words were polite but his tone was not. "It is my understanding that our deal was to return to this world of Living. Having accomplished that, our contract is expired and I have no obligation to assist you further."  
  
"Kisama! If it wasn't for me--!"  
  
"Sayonara," the warlord said off-handedly. He kicked the demon square in the face, sending him tumbling down to the base of the hill. "Be grateful I have spared your life!" he called down with a chuckle.  
  
Basil rolled to a dusty stop and coughed furiously. Around him, Freeza's minions laughed heartily at the small blue man's misfortune. "We might not be so generous," Rikuum grinned. "So I suggest you start running."  
  
One of Gurudo's extra eyes watched Basil scamper away in terror, then turned back to his teammates. "That Saiyajin guy seemed pretty sure Vegeta was still alive and on this planet. If he is, I'll relish the opportunity to get my revenge."  
  
"I dunno, Gurudo," the mohawked man replied. "He whupped you pretty bad on Namek-sei."  
  
"He caught me off guard, that's all!" the frog-eyed alien countered hotly.  
  
"It's not just that though," Jiisu cut in. "Rikuum trounced him, but it was like Vegeta got stronger! I still can't believe he really beat me..."  
  
Ginyuu snorted derisively. "I can handle Vegeta. I think it's the other Saiyajin we need to worry about. The one in orange." Behind him, Baata nodded in agreement, remembering his own embarrassing defeat.  
  
"You needn't fear that one, that Son Goku," Freeza responded. The lizard-like warrior hovered to the ground beside the captain. "I saw him in the Afterlife with my own eyes. He'll be too busy there to cause trouble for us here. There should be no one on this planet to stand in our way."  
  
"Well," Ginyuu began with a cruel smile. "I, for one, wouldn't mind if they tried." A speck in the distance caught the captain's eye and he watched it rapidly grow closer. "Speak of the Devil."  
  
Vegeta, Trunks, Goten, and Paresu landed only a few meters away. The younger three were visibly surprised by the gathering of strange aliens, while the prince smirked grimly. "What could have possibly dragged your sorry ass to this planet, Freeza?"  
  
The lizard-alien characteristically crossed his hands behind his back. "Oh you know, the usual sort of affairs. Revenge and whatnot."  
  
"Then your enemy is Son Goku." Vegeta's smirk widened into a wicked grin. "I only killed Coola and Cold."  
  
Freeza's eye twitched, but he remained calm. "Somehow, I doubt that."  
  
"You won't once I send you back to Hell, because you can ask them yourself."  
  
"The only one going to Hell is you, yarou!" Gurudo burst out. "Whether you die here or not, the only place your soul can go is straight down," he added, pointing to the ground for emphasis.  
  
"Do shut up, you ugly little freak," Paresu sneered. She threw a lock of chestnut hair over her shoulder haughtily and Goten had to suppress a snicker. "The only way for a puny weakling like you to act so tough is by hanging out with the bigger kids on the playground. Little boys shouldn't act like men."  
  
Under the verbal assault, Gurudo's eyes looked like they were going to pop out. Even his teammates were laughing at him. "D-dame da, oban!!"  
  
Paresu's face darkened and an evil aura surrounded her like black flames. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?!?"  
  
The alien's face blanched and he shrank back, eliciting more laughter from his associates. Attempting to save face, Gurudo clenched his fists and took a deep breath. "You know, that man you're trying to defend isn't exactly some goody-goody. He's probably committed more crimes than the rest of us combined!"  
  
Paresu involuntarily glanced at Vegeta. To his merit, the prince managed to look uncomfortable.  
  
"It's true, he's a vicious criminal! His hands are stained with the blood of countless civilizations! He--"  
  
Trunks' cold laughter brought Gurudo to a halt. "Ha ha ha ha ha! You fool." His ice blue eyes bore into the short alien's face. "What my tousan did to people I don't know before I was even born doesn't matter to me."  
  
"He's a different person now! That's what's important!" Goten agreed immediately.  
  
"Aw, how sweet!" Gurudo mocked. "I'll be sure to send you guys to Hell to, so you can be together for eterni--"  
  
*BOOM-SPLAT!*  
  
A bolt of ki ripped off Gurudo's head and the decapitated body fell with a thump. The remaining Ginyuu Tokusentai gawked at the corpse of their teammate. The Saiyajin men turned to look at Paresu. The brunette was scratching the back of her head in an excellent Goten impersonation. "He was getting on my nerves!" the girl giggled.  
  
[Tenacious,] Trunks thought to his best friend.  
  
Goten shrugged. [You noticed?]  
  
"I like your style," Vegeta said approvingly.  
  
"AMA!!" Rikuum roared. The giant redhead was shaking with rage, but managed to channel his anger. He then struck a number bizarre poses. "Clear out, guys! 'Cause Rikuum is gonna vaporize this bitch! Rikuum!!! Eraser!!! GUN!!!" A huge beam of purple ki erupted from his mouth and streaked towards the Z Senshi. Fortuntately, they had the sense to fly clear and it sped off into the distance, destroying a cliff. The mohawked man pressed the attack and immediately rushed straight for Paresu.  
  
"Paresu-chan!" Goten yelled. He was about to fly over and help her when the Baata cut in front of him and struck the Son boy across the face with a left hook.  
  
"You're not going anywhere, gaki!" Goten's head swung back around, his expression set in a ferocious grimace. The big blue alien faltered, recognizing the face as Son Goku's. "Nani!?" The half-Saiyajin didn't waste any time and stunned Baata with a knee to the chin. In that moment of weakness, Goten's leg lanced out and shattered the larger man's armor. Baata screamed as he plummeted from the sky and hit the ground with a resounding crash.  
  
Meanwhile, Trunks also intended to intercept Rikuum when Jiisu got in his way. The red alien swung a fist at the teen, whose hand caught him by the wrist. Their other hands clamped together and Jiisu tried to over-power the half-Saiyajin. "I'm going to mess up that pretty face of yours, boy!"  
  
"Is that your normal complexion," Trunks countered cooly, "Or did you fall asleep in a microwave?"  
  
"Chikushoume!" Jiisu screeched. He kicked out at Trunks, but the purple-haired youth disappeared. "Damn it, where'd he go!?"  
  
"Over here," came Trunks' voice from behind him. The white-haired alien's head snapped around just in time to receive an elbow in the face. Blood sprayed from his split lip and Jiisu held his face in agony.  
  
While the two half-Saiyajin dealt with their foes, Paresu was dodging an onslaught of blasts from Rikuum. "Oh c'mon! Can't you do better than that?" the brunette chided playfully. "You had me going there for a second, but this is pathetic!"  
  
Enraged by the girl's constant barbs, the mohawked alien rocketed to the ground. He flipped onto his hands the pushed, propelling himself up at Paresu feet first. "RIKUUM KICK!!!"  
  
Paresu snickered and easily dodged the larger man's feet. The alien blinked in surprise as he passed his target and Paresu slapped him across the face. Rikuum was knocked down, bouncing off a cliff, which then collapsed and buried under the boulders.  
  
The teen stared down at her arm in shock. She flexed her bicep and giggled. "Who would think there was that much power in this sexy little body?" she said, winking and blowing a kiss.  
  
Down below, Vegeta was still standing calmly before Freeza and Ginyuu. "It looks like the children have already gotten started," the prince observed. "Shall I be the one to kill you, Ginyuu?"  
  
"You sure seem awfully confident," the purple alien replied. "I should have finished you off on Namek-sei."  
  
"Ahahaha!" the prince cackled. "Oh that's rich! If I remember correctly, you didn't stand a chance against me!"  
  
"I wasn't at full power then." Ginyuu assumed a fighting stance. "But now I am, so I'll show you just how easy it will be." But Vegeta refused to take him seriously and continued his fit of laughter. "I'll show you!!!"  
  
Seeing his opening, Ginyuu launched himself at the amused Vegeta. The Saiyajin no Ouji's eyes popped open in shock and he hastily struck out with a punch. The captain performed a somersault and tried to flip over the prince. But Vegeta was only feigning alarm and his momentum carried him back onto his other hand. "You're too predictable!" he mocked. In mid flip, Ginyuu caught a mule kick in the gut and careened back to the ground.  
  
Ginyuu hurriedly climbed to his feet and fired a blast of ki at the short Saiyajin, but Vegeta disappeared. He showed up behind the captain and grabbed onto the purple warrior's horns, yanking his head around. Ginyuu escaped by flipping behind the prince and then slammed him into the ground. His fist struck down, but hit only the ground as Vegeta expertly slipped away. "Onore," Ginyuu growled.  
  
"At least you haven't completely lost your touch," the prince said nonchalantly. "But something's bothering me. Weren't you turned into a frog?"  
  
"*ahem* Uh, Namek-seijin frogs don't live very long," Ginyuu answered, embarrassed.  
  
"That's nothing to be ashamed about." Vegeta's ever-present smirk widened. "You won't be alive very long either." 


	36. Episdoe 36

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume V -- Evil, Revisited  
  
Episode 36 -- A Fight Too Easy!! Danger Looming on the Horizon!!  
  
Vegeta's cockiness driving him mad with rage, Ginyuu launched himself at the Saiyajin no Ouji. He punched! He kicked! He missed! The raven-haired man dodged them all with an aura of relaxation and ease that only made the purple alien more furious. But the captain was not foolish enough to completely lose his head. He kept his eyes on the prince, watching his every move. Ginyuu swung his hand in a chop that cut only air. Vegeta reappeared just feet away. But Ginyuu did not charge again, visibly agitated.  
  
"Is something the matter, captain?" Vegeta asked in the battle's pause.  
  
A bead of sweat rolled down Ginyuu's heavily veined forehead. "You're one confident s.o.b...d-demo...."  
  
"Demo?" the prince repeated cooly.  
  
"....You can't be Vegeta," the captain finally finished. "He's strong, but not this strong. And Vegeta attacks head on with everything he's got. You can't be the same person!"  
  
"You're right--" a grin, "--I'm not the same person."  
  
"Kono yarou!" the purple alien lunged at the prince. Anticipating Vegeta's counter, Ginyuu began to spin as fast as he could. Just as the short Saiyajin touched down behind him, the captain started firing a Renzoku Energy Dan. Vegeta hopped around and laughed, letting the ki bolts pass him and tear into the landscape. He back flipped over a low one and gave Ginyuu his opportunity. Charging the rest of his ki into his hand, the captain swung it down in a chop. It's purple aura expanded with the motion like a sword, catching Vegeta by surprise. The explosion lit the valley and left a hundred meter long trench in the ground. "Ha ha ha! Whoever you were, even you were no match for Captain Ginyuu! Na, Freeza-sam--AH!"  
  
Freeza had been watching the fight from the side and now his eyes widened slowly. He carefully turned his head when the Saiyajin no Ouji's voice sounded right behind him. "Don't forget, you're next," the prince reminded his former master. The warlord spun and fired a giant beam right where Vegeta would have been, but destroyed a mountain instead as the short man rocketed back toward Ginyuu. The purple alien didn't even see his own death as the prince's foot ripped right through his chest and out his back. Vegeta pulled out and landed a meter away, letting Ginyuu's corpse collapse to the dusty plain.  
  
Freeza was speechless and despite himself, drew back into a defensive posture. But the Saiyajin no Ouji didn't attack and instead turned around to watch his young charges in their battles. The lizard-like alien couldn't believe the prince's audacity! To turn his back to the mighty Freeza so carelessly! But he forced himself to calm and knew that attacking now would only be suicide. Explaining Vegeta's remarkable power increase could wait until later. Right now, he would need to devise a plan.  
  
Rikuum dug himself out of the cliff side. His armor was ruined, his hair was a mess, and he had once again lost many teeth. It was like Namek-sei all over again, but the orange-haired brute swore he wouldn't let it end the same way. High above, Paresu was cheering herself happily and that infuriated Rikuum to no end. At the end of this fight, it would be the Ginyuu Tokusentai who celebrated victory! The giant slammed his fists against the ground, focusing all his energy for another massive attack. "Rikuum!!! Maha!!!" He raised his arms and howled liked an ape. "ATTACK!!!"  
  
Paresu backed up in surprise as her opponent's aura flared a brilliant violet and he streaked towards were with three times more speed than he seemed to have before. The brunette was unprepared for the first strike and took the full force of a shoulder smash, her small body thrown back faster than she could recover. Rikuum shot ahead of her just in time to follow up with a double-knee to the chest that sent the girl soaring down. It continued like that over and over, the orange-haired soldier flying around to juggle Paresu with punches, kicks, knees, and elbows.  
  
At last, Rikuum geared up for the final stage of his ultimate attack. As the chestnut-haired teen spun uncontrollably upwards, he knocked her straight down with a double-fisted slam. She shrieked with the blow and descended like a falling star. The giant man blew past her and dug into the ground, then lunged forward in a head butt. His thick skull rammed right into Paresu's stomach. With the wind knocked out of her, she skidded to the ground and dug a long crater.  
  
With their respective opponents otherwise occupied, Goten and Trunks watched the beating in shock. "PARESU!!" her boyfriend cried.  
  
Baata's hoarse scream drew away his attention and the blue alien jumped to his feet. "It's not over yet!! You'll have the honor of being the first to die by my new technique!!" The tallest Tokusentai soldier gathered his ki in his hands and launched upwards, flying around the annoyed half-Saiyajin in a streak of blue. In his wake, he left a trail of hovering ki orbs that surrounded Goten in a cage. "SHINE!!"  
  
Baata threw one last sphere into the mix and they all exploded in a chain reaction that engulfed the young man. But his shout quickly drowned out the roar of the blast and his aura flared, dispersing the flames. "Don't get in my way again," the half-Saiyajin intoned.  
  
Meanwhile, Jiisu finally got his nose to stop spraying blood by ripping off a finger from his glove and jamming it in one nostril. Trunks had to suppress a chuckle at the sight. "That's it, no more Mister Nice Guy!" the red alien said, sounding slightly nasal.  
  
"You were...taking it easy on me?" the lavender-haired teen replied. He was desperately fighting the urge to bust out laughing.  
  
"Take this!" Jiisu said, rasing his hand. A large ki orb jumped to life in his hand, flames licking off it like small solar flares. "Super Crusher Ball!!!" He smacked it at Trunks, but the young man just slapped it back at the alien soldier. Not expecting such a direct counterattack, Jiisu took the fireball head on and was blown back. Fighting jacket melted and jumpsuit singed, the dazed man bumped into Baata. His friend kept him from falling and they quickly tried to put out the fire in his precious snowy hair.  
  
Meanwhile, Rikuum was approaching the still prone Paresu. He ambled up and stood over her gloatingly. "Aw, did the little girl fall down go boom?" he said depreciatingly.  
  
The brunette surprised him by rolling over. Aside from some scratches and a split lip, she seemed unharmed. The worst damage had been to the blue sun dress that she had been wearing for their day on the town. Paresu arched her back and moaned sultrily, one strap falling off her shoulder. "MmmmMMMmmm....was it good for you too?" she murmured, peering at the giant man through thick eyelashes.  
  
"Nani nani!? There's no way you could have survived that!!"  
  
"You're kidding right?" she replied, sitting up. "Goten plays harder than that. I'll guess I'll have to show you how it's done." Paresu jumped to her feet and did a few stretches right in front of the shocked Tokusentai member. She did a little pirouette and stopped, blue ki charging up between her cupped hands. "KAMEHAMEHA!!!" With Rikuum too stunned to defend, the sparkling beam drilled right through his torso and kept going. As the beam arched up into the sky to explode harmlessly, the orange-haired alien collapsed, lifeless. "Oopsy!" the girl giggled. "I broke him!"  
  
"Yosh, Paresu-chan!" Goten cheered. "That's how ya do it!"  
  
Trunks too was clapping. "Damn fine job!" he grinned.  
  
"Don't you just ignore us!" Jiisu growled. "Let's go, Baata. We'll show these two our true power."  
  
"You're in for it now!" Baata screeched at the half-Saiyajin. "Together, we're unstoppable!"  
  
"That's a joke!" Vegeta mocked them from below. Behind him, Freeza could still only watch and wait.  
  
Baata and Jiisu flared their auras, then flew around each other in an ever-quickening circle. Eventually, they blurred together as a swirling mass of purple energy. ""Purple Comet Supreme Z CRASH!!!"" the two alien soldiers said at once. Their ki formed a large sphere of power on which long jagged blades of ki rotated like a gyroscope.  
  
"Oi, Trunks!" Goten called out to his best friend. "It must take some coordination to do a team attack like that!"  
  
Catching on to his friend's hint, "I bet we could do better!" The lavender-haired warrior assumed the first stance of Fusion in mid-air while the younger teen mirrored him. "Fuuuuuu..."  
  
"...siiiooon...."  
  
""HA!!!""  
  
From inside their 'Purple Comet,' Jiisu and Baata watched as the two teens danced in the sky and touched fingers, creating a brilliant flash of light. What emerged from the radiance was a single man, tall and powerful. He had a sharp, angular face and spiky black hair with a band of lavender wrapping around the back of his head. He adjusted the heavy leather vest on his shoulders and grinned dashingly.  
  
"What--who the hell is that?" Jiisu said to his spinning comrade.  
  
"Who cares!" Baata sneered. "We'll just kill him too!"  
  
Together, the two soldiers directed their whirling Globe-O-Death at the fused warrior. Gotenks didn't seem to be paying much attention and was flexing his muscles impressively while Paresu clapped and whistled. Baata and Jiisu zeroed in and soared towards the half-Saiyajin, but he simply raised an arm and caught it. The cyclone of blades slapped uselessly against his outstretched arm, but one finally cut into the wide orange shoulder cuff of his vest. Gotenks eyed the slice dangerously and growled. He kicked swiftly and broke up their technique, sending the two aliens sprawling in opposite directions.  
  
"M-mas-saka!" the blue one stuttered. "There's no way...!"  
  
"Lucky shot!" his teammate said, hoping he sounded confident. "Again, Baata!"  
  
"H-hai!" They quickly formed their Purple Comet Supreme Z Crash again and launched themselves at Gotenks for a second time.  
  
""Now you guys are just getting on my nerves,"" the fusion muttered. ""Can't you do anything else? So be it, I'll match and beat you! Kore wa Gotenks-sama no Ultra Whirlwind Attack da!!!""  
  
True to his word, the young man started spinning around in place and kicked up a ferocious wind roughly equivalent to an F4 Tornado. Surrounding clouds for almost a kilometer were sucked into the vortex. Large chunks of rock were ripped from the ground by the sheer power of vacuum and crumbled to dust by air moving faster than the speed of sound. Paresu was half laughing, half screaming her head off as she fought to reach the ground and get out of the maelstrom's range. Vegeta, who was closer, was almost plucked from where he stood and had to power up his ki just to keep from being flung around. The Saiyajin no Ouji watched in awe as Jiisu and Baata were instantly drawn into the center of it all. He couldn't hear anything over the roar of the wind, especially not their dying screams. Finally, Gotenks stopped spinning and dispersed the tornado. Blood rained down from the sky for a good ten seconds.  
  
[By Kami,] Vegeta thought dumbly. [He's not even a Super Saiyajin...yet a fusion has _that_ much power...]  
  
Gotenks hovered down to land next to Vegeta and gave him a cheery thumbs up. "Too easy, ne?" he laughed.  
  
Paresu came flying in and glomped onto the fused half-Saiyajin. "Yatta yatta! You did it, you did Fusion right!" she said, hugging him tightly. She paused and ran her hands over the young man's abs. "Really right..."  
  
"Oi oi!" Gotenks said indignantly. He hopped away and clutched his vest over his body. "You break it, you buy it!"  
  
"How much?" the brunette responded. A greedy smile spread across her face and she started chasing him around with wiggly fingers.  
  
"You brute!" the fusion shrieked in a falsetto. "Don't you spoil this pure virginal flesh!" The two--or should that be three--teenagers danced around playfully while Vegeta clawed at his face and wished he could crawl into a hole somewhere to die.  
  
Behind the group, Freeza gawked at the display of goofiness. "Are you mocking me!?" he yelled. "Do you think I pose no threat to you, just because you annihilated my lackeys? I'll have you know that Freeza-sama is a whole different game than those fools."  
  
The lizard-like warlord immediately wished he had slipped away quietly when all three Senshi turned to glare at him.  
  
"Let me take care of this one, Vegeta-san," Paresu offered confidently. She dusted off her dress and cracked her knuckles.  
  
"Iie," the prince answered. "Believe it or not, this one is too strong for you." Freeza's eyebrow twitched.  
  
"Then I'll take him out," Gotenks replied, but Vegeta's arm blocked his way.  
  
"I shall deal with him myself. We have unfinished business," he added soberly. He strode towards the bone-white alien, all pretense of formality gone.  
  
Freeza slowly backed up. "I realize now, Vegeta. I have no chance against you in a direct battle. So forgive me if I must end this quickly." He raised one finger to the sky and an enormous Shitama formed. "Destroying this planet will be enough to defeat you!"  
  
"Too bad you won't get that chance," the Saiyajin no Ouji said. He crossed the gap between them in an instant and now had an iron grip on the warlord's wrist. The pressure broke Freeza's concentration and the Death Ball vanished with one last spark of electricity. The alien's crimson eyes shook as he met the prince's obsidian gaze. "Look into this face, Freeza. See your Angel of Death." He powered up to Super Saiyajin and Freeza's skin burned and boiled under the heat of his aura. "And know that you a hand in making me."  
  
"Bakana!" Freeza wailed futilely.  
  
"You have brought this upon yourself, Freeza!!" Vegeta pulled back on the alien's arm, tearing it off at the elbow, and the lizard-like being could only stare at the stump as it gushed blood. "You made me!!" The back of the prince's forearm slammed into Freeza's gut and though it was a blunt strike, the very power alone was enough to rip open his stomach. The once all-powerful lord fell to his knees and tried to keep his innards from tumbling out. "Your sins are far more terrible than mine!!" The short Saiyajin punched and shattered his foe's spine, rendering him paralyzed. "So perhaps it is divine intervention that has brought you to me for punishment." Vegeta lowered his hand and picked up the alien warrior by his head.  
  
"No...it c..cann..ot...be...."  
  
"Oh but it is."  
  
Finger tips dug into skin.  
  
"You are at _my_ mercy now."  
  
Skin ruptured and bled.  
  
"But I have none for you."  
  
Bone cracked and splintered.  
  
"Now go to Hell...and stay there this time."  
  
Freeza's head shattered in an explosion of bone, blood, and gray matter. Drenched in it all, Vegeta's white glove was a mess. Though not nearly as much as the former warlord. The gore was too much even for Paresu and she turned away, comforted somewhat by Gotenks' protective embrace. The Saiyajin no Ouji picked up the mutilated corpse by a leg. "I'd leave your body to rot here, Freeza. But your wretched blood might seep in and contaminate the ground water." So Vegeta tossed it up into the sky and fired a beam of searing yellow ki that disintegrated it, leaving no remains.  
  
Silence. Only the whistle of the wind dared to make a sound.  
  
"Erm, so....that was fun," Gotenks said at last.  
  
Vegeta powered down and sighed. "I guess we're stuck with you for another twenty minutes?" he said while rolling his eyes. "Wonderful."  
  
Paresu chose not to comment on Freeza's execution and instead tried to hold back the vomit. "Can we go home now, onegai?" The prince allowed himself a genuine smile that surprised the two teens and hovered upwards, leading the way.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Night fell and Basil had made it to the scared forest. Despite his stature, the blue demon had amazing stamina and hadn't stopped running since Freeza's goons drove him away. But he wasn't running scared and headed purposefully to the southwest once he got his bearings. Basil pushed through bushes, jumped over brambles, and ducked under branches. He stopped only at the sound of a crackling fire and hid among some shrubbery.  
  
In the clearing, Basil could see a large wild man and his tiny son cooking some kind of bird for dinner. Opposite their teepee was the base of Karin's Tower, the ivory spire stretching up into the starts. The demon decided to avoid a confrontation and sneaked around behind them. He crawled up to the tower's base and began the long climb.  
  
For several tense hours, Basil feared the wild man might spot him with eagle-like vision. But a bigger problem on the first day of the climb was a mated pair of birds. Their nest was set in one of the tower's many nooks and crannies, so had pecked at the blue man relentlessly for the better part of the morning. When night finally came again and it was too dark for even a demon to see, Basil rested while clinging to the ivory stones. He noticed the air was getting thinner on the second day, but it wasn't until late in the third when he was finally high enough to see the bowl of Karin's sanctuary.  
  
It took an hour of waiting before Basil had the opportunity to slip past the God of Martial Arts and his fat samurai companion. There were many times when the short demon feared he would be found out by the cat master, but it never came to pass. His chance finally came when Yajirobe started complaining about their satellite reception and Karin descended into the bowl-shaped home. The blue man jumped up onto the domed roof above the platform and scrambled to the top. From there, Basil hit a snag. The Tenkai was floating waaaaay up high, just beyond Karin's Tower. After much thought and even more waiting, the demon spotted a passing eagle and made a desperate leap at it. He wrestled with the bird in mid air for a bit and somehow coerced it to fly upwards. When they had reach sufficient height, Basil lept again and grasped a rung of the Tenkai's outer ladder. He scrambled up with the last of his strength, driven by the thought of what would happen to him should he fall. Despite the seemingly impossible task, Basil had made it, he was on Kami's lookout.  
  
Basil knew where he was going, grasping onto the vague memories he picked up from Piccolo while in Nagareboshi's subconscious. Somewhere in Kami's palace was a crystal, hidden away so that it may never be found. But the demon knew it was here and snuck about the divine compound. The resident Kami and his assistant had obviously retired for the night and Basil was free to haunt the palace's rooms and corridors. He searched many a chamber and hall, for the exact storage place for the precious gem eluded his memory.  
  
Finally, he found it. The crystal was sitting on a pedastal and glowed with a dark indigo aura. It's spiked shape was unremarkable, but a dazzling mist swirled beneath its dark surface. It was the shell of negative energy used to cage Chikyuu's first great threat. Basil approached it carefully, grinning evilly. In mere moments, he would release the one person that could rescue his lord Garlic Jr. from the Dead Zone. The demon prince's own father, Garlic-ou. 


	37. Episode 37

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. Well here we are, finally at Episode 37. From here, DBYZ should resume a fairly regular update schedule, barring unforseen complications. Thanks for sticking it out and I hope you'll keep reading as we venture into new territory.  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume V -- Evil, Revisited  
  
Episode 37 -- Resurrection of a Demon!! Are the Heavens Defenseless!?  
  
Basil quickly got to work, setting up the necessary magical seals required to dissolve the crystalline prison. His tiny feet shuffled on the dusty floor as the demon traced various symbols and incantations all around the chamber, using a piece of natural chalk he picked up on the way. Every few minutes, Basil would pause and prick up his pointed ears, alerted by the slightest sound. At this point, he feared nothing more than to be interrupted by the Tenkai's occupants before his mission was accomplished. But despite his nerves, all seemed still.  
  
Finally, after several agonizingly slow hours of work, the seals were complete. This was a type of magic known only by certain demon clansmen, even to the exclusion of the royal family. It was his knowledge of this most ancient art that secured Basil his spot as Garlic Junior's personal assitant. The strange, twisted alphabet of Makyo-seigo looked more like a spider's web than actual words. Indeed, it appeared that the cobwebs gathering in the room's corners had snaked out along the floor to surrounded the central pedestal. Basil was careful not to tred on his precious seals and picked a spot near the door, where some symbols gathered in a circle. This marked the spot where a servant must offer his blood to free his lord. With shaking hands, the little blue demon stuck a thumb in his mouth and cut the tip with a fang. He held out the appendage and squeezed his thumb, watching in morbid fascination as a few drops of dark blue ichor leaked out of the wound and fell to the floor.  
  
The dripping of blood would have sounded very loud in the Tenkai's silent halls. It would have, if the rush of power awakened by the demonic magic hadn't immediately drowned it out in a rush of violent wind. The entire lookout was shaking and Basil fell to his knees. He watched in awe as the crystal glowed and spun, turning in on itself and then expanding out.  
  
Elsewhere in the Tenkai, both the new Kami Dende and his assistant Popo were rudely awakened by the seeming earthquake. They scrambled out of their rooms and were nearly blown away by the howling winds. "What's going on!?" Dende called loudly.  
  
At first Popo said nothing. His eyes were wide with shock and fright, suddenly aware of the old power that was being released. His new master new nothing of this, but Popo himself had been around to serve many Kamis, so he was quite familiar with the evil that had been locked below. "Come with Popo!" the djinn finally replied. "We must stop him!"  
  
"Dare ga?" the young Namek-seijin asked. But his shouting was unnecessary, as the wind ended as abruptly as it had begun. He had no time to ask again as he ran to catch up with Popo's retreating back. They climbed down many stairs, down into the heart of the Tenkai's bowl. It was like a dungeon down here, where many secret treasures remained hidden. Eventually, the pair came upon a room from whose entrance bluish smoke was wafting out. They could see dark shadows moving about and hear hushed voices too low to make out. Fearing the worst, Dende and Popo stepped through the archway.  
  
Garlic's beady eyes narrowed, darting up to look at the newcomers, as his cracked lips twisted into a malicious sneer. Beside the tall blue demon, Basil sat on the floor, startled by the pair's sudden appearance. "Sire, that's him! That's the new Kami!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
Down in the deepest, darkest places of Hell, many voices echoed among the sheer cliffs of obsidian. It was in the lower realms that the worst devils and monsters still lurked in The Pit. It was in the lower realms that the evil essence extracted from bitter souls had pooled, further warping the already warped creatures and landscape. And it was in the lower realms that Chikyuu's Z Senshi fought to maintain the peace.  
  
Goku's gritted his teeth as he struck the spidery beast before him. His knuckles had already been cut on its rough, scaly hide. Each punch brought a sharp stab of pain and he was reminded that this spirit form granted to him by Enma did an excellent job of emulating a real body. He rained down blows on the mutated monster until it staggered away. "This ain't gettin' me nowhere," the Saiyajin grumbled aloud. "I can't do any damage with that thick skin."  
  
The beast eventually regained its balance and growled at Goku, and the man could see many sharp looking teeth bristling in its maw. The evil which leaked down from the checkpoint had invaded this creature's habitat, mutating it into the spider-like thing it was now. Each of its long, segmented legs ended in a taloned paw. Its head seemed to be an excuse for a multiple-jawed mouth with no apparent eyes or nose. Goku wasn't even sure it _could_ see, but it definitely knew where its prey was, as the man had first seen it chasing some oni whose job it normally was to detain such fearsome beasts.  
  
The hideous monster walked in place, spinning its body around so a pincer-like tail could whip at the Saiyajin. Goku nimbly flipped over the first lash, but the pincer opened wide on the second pass and managed to snag his arm. He counted himself lucky that it didn't take off his arm before flinging him into the valley wall. The raven-haired man pushed himself up out of the rubble to see his opponent's pincer tail whip at his head.  
  
Goku was suddenly aware of a new power in the valley where he fought. Before the blow could strike, a blast of wind and flash of light made the man duck.  
  
*SHINK!*  
  
The beast stumbled again and roared in pain, the pincer on its tail falling to the ground with a splatter of green blood. Goku looked up again to see a mass of black rush towards the creature and jump over its hasty attacks. The new being came down with a gruff shout and the monster was split in two. The two halves lay twitching on the floor until it dissolved in a pool of green and purple sludge, the evil essence fueling it expended. The man with the long black haired walked towards Goku with a familiar chuckle.  
  
"Didn't expect to see you here, taisan."  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Kami, na?" Garlic Senior said, advancing on Dende and Popo slowly. "You are not Piccolo, but...you are of his kind. Where is he boy? I must extract my revenge."  
  
"P-P-Piccolo? He d-died many ye-years ago," Dende stuttered. He swallowed hard and tried to drum up his courage, clutching the over-sized staff for support. "But I am Kami now. And I m-must demand you identify yourself."  
  
Garlic blinked in surprise and Popo backed up a step, laying a hand on his master's shoulder. "This not good. Kami and Popo must flee!"  
  
"You are going nowhere," Garlic said. He raised a clawed hand, aiming it at the pair. The room's deepest shadows seemed drawn to his power, reaching out to swirl around the cowering holy men. Popo quickly pushed Dende aside as Garlic closed his hand, commanding the shadows to close around the djinn in a cage of darkness.  
  
"Popo-san!" Dende cried. The young Kami clenched his teeth and fists. He may not be a fighter-type Namek-seijin, but he was still the guardian of this plant! Quickly pulling himself up, Dende ran at the demon with his staff raised angrily.  
  
Garlic scoffed and flipped his hand carelessly. A wave of invisible energy rocked the small alien's body and he was flung against the wall, staff clattering to the ground uselessly. "You're a million years too early, boy. There's no way you can challenge the mighty King Garlic." A rumbling off to the side alerted Garlic to activity within his shadow cage. Popo's fingers poked through the dark surface and with obvious effort, he pulled the prison apart like toffy. "I seem to have underestimated your power, Mr. Popo," the demon noted casually.  
  
Popo charged in a desperate attack and Garlic's fist lanced out, but he missed shorter man. Showing a surprising agility, the rotund being flipped over his opponent. However, he just wasn't fast enough and Garlic countered by swinging his leg around to kick behind his back. Popo was hit hard and slammed into the wall next to Dende. But you can't keep a good djinn down and Popo was back on his feet. Instead of attacking again, he grabbed Dende's hand and practically dragged him away down the hall.  
  
"As I said before, you're going nowhere!" Garlic laughed. He raised his hand and now light radiated from it. It struck out at Dende and Popo like lightning and they were sealed in a magic bubble. As the orb floated back to its creator, it shrank down small enough to fit in the demon's hand. Finally, the bubble turned into a glass jar with a looped handle, the miniaturized holy men trapped within. "I'm afraid there's no escape for you two," Garlic grinned devilishly.  
  
"S-subarashii, ou-sama!" Basil said, crawling up to Garlic. "With such power, you are truly my master's father. And, speaking of my master--"  
  
"In a moment," Garlic said, cutting him off. He casually walked down the hall, occasionally peering into rooms here and there. "There is something I wish to find first."  
  
"B-but, sire!"  
  
"It can wait!!" the demon king barked. Basil had no choice but to trundle after Garlic as he inspected the Tenkai's treasure vaults. At last, they came upon the correct room. Sitting on the pedestal of this one were two decanters: one ebon black and the other ivory white. "Ah, here is where he put it." Garlic picked up the former, running his fingers over its surface. "Do you know what this is, Basil?"  
  
"Could it be...? Is that the Aquamist?"  
  
"Tadashii, this is my royal heirloom. Only the king's of Makyo-sei may weild the dark magic contained within. The Aquamist inside this container creates a special mist, which can awaken the evil essence buried in the hearts of man. Anyone who inhales the mist will find themselves reborn as a demon clansman." Garlic fingered the decanter's seal, but did not open it. "In protest of Piccolo being chosen as the next Kami, I used this to gather an army of monsters and take the throne by force. I was...defeated and that yarou took this from me. But now that he's out of the way, nothing will stop my conquest of Chikyuu."  
  
"Onegai, ou-sama! My master!" Basil begged.  
  
"Yes, where is my son? I would have expected him to try and free me from Kami's infernal prison."  
  
"That is why I am here, my lord," the shorter demon replied, exasperated. "He did try, but was defeated and sealed within his own Dead Zone."  
  
"NAAAAANI!?" Garlic roared, his anger shaking the halls. "Why didn't you set him free already!?"  
  
Quailing under the king's might, Basil fell to his knees--which, considering his height, wasn't very far. "M-m-my knowledge of demon magic is vast, ou-sama. But even at the height of my power, I may only open the entrace to the Dead Zone. To draw something back out of the void is beyond my abilities."  
  
Garlic sneered at his subject. "Of course, you're but a peasant and lack royal blood. Very well, I will do it myself." The demon king strode out of the chamber, then stopped and turned to look back at Basil with a flourish of his cape. "Be assured, my son will punish you himself when he is returned." The lesser demon could only nod sullenly.  
  
Garlic's angry footsteps carried him upstairs quickly and Basil was hard-pressed to keep up with the taller demon's long strides. Passing Kami's throne on the way out, Garlic set down the glass jar in which Dende and Popo were trapped. He smirked at them, then exited the main hall and stepped out onto the Tenkai's courtyard. In the distance, the new day's sun struggled to rise despite heavy clouds. The demon winced at the red light striking his eyes. "I will deal with you soon enough," he growled. "But first."  
  
From his vantage point on the temple steps, Basil watched as the elder demon gathered his dark powers. Garlic raised his arms and a corona of blue surrounded him. A humming filled the air and it felt heavy, almost like the very clouds were sinking. Indeed, everything seemed to drawn in on a single point, which then stretched open to reveal a black expanse. The opposite of a normal Dead Zone's vacuum effect, this pushed a torrent of air out of itself and Basil clung to the temple's columns so as not to be flung away. Fragments of Garlic Junior's old palace dropped out of the void and crashed onto the courtyard, smashing tiles and flattening trees. After a long time, a small shape dropped from the void. Thought wrapped in tattered rags, both Garlic and Basil could make out the Makyo-sei royal crest on his front. With a last surge of power, the demon king closed the Dead Zone's exit and the winds died down to a more normal speed for the Tenkai's altitude.  
  
Garlic strode towards his heir, whom lied shivering on the ground. "What's the matter with you? Get up," he said, now standing above his prostrate son. "Tell me how you have come to this sorry state."  
  
The lump of rags rose up a bit and steadied. A hood covered much of Garlic Junior's face, but the taller demon could still see his son grin. ""No point in telling you, father,"" the being hissed. He raised an arm, but only a writhing mass of tentacles could be seen under the rags and Garlic Senior recoiled in horror. ""You won't be alive long enough to care."" Junior's robes exploded in a mass of tendrils that wrapped around the demon king and his anguished cries eventually died away, apparently consumed. Pausing their movements, the pulsating limbs relaxed, then drew in on themselves. At last they slide back under Garlic Junior's sleeve and he reappeared, but much taller and younger, looking more like his father. The reborn demon inspected himself, satisfied with his tremendous new power. ""Much better,"" he said to himself.  
  
"M-m-my l-lord?" Basil said, hiding behind temple's pillars. "Is th-that you?"  
  
""It is,"" Garlic Junior replied. He walked over to Basil and with every step, the shorter demon shivered more frightenedly. ""You have been very loyal to me, dear Basil. Even to escape from Nagareboshi and return to the living world, all in order to revive me.""  
  
"Hai, Garlic Junior-sama. I only wish to serve," he added with a shaky bow. "B-but, how do you know of the kleag'rohsn?"  
  
""In the Dead Zone, naturally. Immortality has allowed me to conquer Its futile attempts to absorb me.""  
  
"Sugoi..." said the astounded Basil.  
  
""Yes, yes. This new ability I've acquired has some very convenient uses, as you have seen for yourself. I must thank you for giving me this chance to return to power. I always repay loyalty.""  
  
Basil's delighted smile quickly faded away. As the tentacles wrapped around him the way they had Garlic Senior, he could only curse his rotten luck.  
  
Refreshed by his new strength and knowledge, Garlic Junior spread his arms and howled up at the sky. ""Aaaah ha ha ha ha ha haaaa!! My patience has not been in vain!"" he called out. Taking a step back, his foot bumped something that rolled on the ground. Looking around, he found his father's decanter of Aquamist, which had apparently fallen out of his pocket during the struggle. An idea formed in Garlic Junior's head and he strolled back into the temple with the ebon container in his grasp. He sat down on Kami's throne and poked the glass jar. ""Now, what shall I do with this?""  
  
"You must not!" Popo cried from within the jar.  
  
"What is it?" Dende asked, befuddled.  
  
""Evil,"" the blue monster replied simply. Garlic Junior pulled off the stopper and immediately, a black swirling mist poured out of it, creeping along the ground. But instead of letting it all escape, the demon monarch lifted the decanter to his lips and drank.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Elsewhere, among the domed buildings of Capsule Corporation, Goten's head snapped up. A spoon was still in his mouth, having just consumed another mouthful of extremely sugary cereal. He wasn't the only one who was suddenly paralyzed, as a glass slipped out of Trunks' hand and crashed to the linoleum floor. They were both captured by the freezing terror in their hearts at this new sensation. A malevolent power had arisen in a surge of pure hate that reminded them too much of Nagareboshi.  
  
Outside, standing atop the decript spaceship that was their training room, Vegeta stood. His tightly clenched fists shook, but he was smiling grimly. "Don't we ever get a break?" 


	38. Episode 38

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. I'm on a roll! Let's see how long this lasts, eh?  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume V -- Evil, Revisited  
  
Episode 38 -- Old Threats New Again!! The Z Soldiers Are Split Up!!  
  
Goku jumped to his feet in surprise. "Uso!" the raven-haired warrior exclaimed. "Is it really you!?"  
  
"This is Hell, after all," the taller man replied. "Where did you expect me to go?" A furry brown tail swung behind his back, betraying his emotion. Despite the circumstances, the dead Saiyajin known as Raditz was actually quite pleased to see his little brother again. "I've heard you've been to Anoyo and back a couple times over the years. But it's good to see you helping us out now. Heh, that scar makes you look like our old man."  
  
"Ch-chotto matte! You mean you _ain't_ messin' around down here?" his Chikyuu-bound brother said with apparent disbelief.  
  
Raditz's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "I may not have been the nicest guy in life, but I like to think I'm a bit more respectable now. Got myself a job and everything."  
  
"A job?" Goku queried. Neither he nor Raditz noticed the click click clicking of claws on rock as more spider devils climbed down the cliffs towards them.  
  
"Yeah, turns out we Saiyajin were a bit too rowdy to be controlled by Enma's oni. In exchange for our good behavior, he offered positions as guards in Hell's more dangerous areas. Ironic, isn't it, Kakarotto? Now we're pretty much a race of peacekeepers. Still plenty of fighting to do, though. That's why I agreed to sign up."  
  
"Saa, didn't see that coming," Goku laughed. Now that he had to chance to inspect his former enemy more closely, Goku saw that Raditz indeed looked the part of a soldier. He was holding a long, thick-bladed katana and armor that was once the mark of a Saiyajin warrior had since been restylized to match his samurai sword. The word 'HELL' was printed on his left breastplate. The younger Saiyajin had a sudden thought and he eyed his brother warily. "You don't...hold a grudge...do ya?"  
  
At this, Raditz seemed to balk. He mulled on it a bit, muttering under his breath. Finally, the larger man waved his hands. "Nah. Not against you, anyway. The green guy is another matter, but, whatever. You're still my little brother, so I can't stay mad at you. I wasn't exactly blameless myself, after all. I did...some stupid things. I won't ask you to forgive me, but you gotta believe me when I say I didn't intend for things to go the way they did. And besides," the long-haired man added. "Oyaji would thump me into the ground if I gave you a hard time."  
  
"Old man?" Goku asked. "You mean, my...our...father..."  
  
"Naturally. Who do you think is in command of the Saiyajin Guard? Down here, even Vegeta-ousama knows not to mess with Bardock." Raditz chuckled. "You must take after him, taisan. Pops got pretty damn strong over the years, more so than he let on."  
  
The younger Saiyajin sat, thinking. He hadn't expected to run into anyone he recognized in Hell. But to think that his race practically ran things down here? Needless to say, it was a lot to absorb. "My head is swimmin', ya know? Demo...I think I can trust you. Jus' too bad you couldn't reform 'til after death, n--HEY!"  
  
Raditz, spotting a spider at the last moment, threw his brother aside. Its claws streaked towards the dead Saiyajin and he stumbled back, parrying one slash with his sword. Another claw swung up and caught Raditz on the chest, cutting through his armor and knocking him back. "Gaaah!!"  
  
Goku rolled and flipped back onto his feet, taking a step towards his brother before having to jump back to avoid being trampled by another devil. It turned to hiss at him and the man was splattered with sticky saliva. The Saiyajin hopped away, trying to wipe it off his shirt in disgust. Raditz's cries brought his head back up and behind his own opponent, Goku could see his older brother being mauled by the other. The taller warrior was managing to defend himself, but on his back, Raditz was in no position to turn the fight around.  
  
"Yosh! Lessee if this works when I'm dead!" Goku's voice rang out all around the valley as he focused his power and a backwash of energy made the spider devil hesitate to attack. Surrounded by the golden fire of a Super Saiyajin's aura, the now blond man resumed a fighting stance. "Hang on, niisan! I'm coming!"  
  
The Super Saiyajin launched himself at the mutated devil and attacked, blows raining down on its carapace faster and harder than before. Its meager attempts at defense proved futile as Goku punched through the beast's thin legs and tore open its skin, the wounds spurting blood. Inter-locking his fingers, the man swung a two-fisted blow at the devil that sent it flying backwards. It bowled over the one fighting Raditz and rebounded, getting skewered on some spiked crystal protrusions sticking out of the ground. Its death throes broke the crystals impaling it, but nothing could save the monster as it died in a pool of its own blood. Goku was at his brother's side in an instant, helping the elder Saiyajin up. Now it was Raditz's turn to get a good look and he was amazed at the transformation.  
  
"W-wha, this, huh?" he mumbled, dumbfounded. The raw power emanating from Goku was more than the long haired man could take.  
  
"Super Saiyajin," Goku answered. Raditz ran a hand over his brow in amazement, also wiping away some blood. Goku just smirked at him, but then the second spider beast scrambled back to its feet. It roared angrily, spreading its multiple jaws wide. The younger man leveled a hand at it and gathered his ki.  
  
"NO!!" the long haired man warned, but he was too late. The roar of Goku's blast drowned out his voice and he watched helplessly as the devil gratefully drank up its opponent's ki. When his ears readjusted to the sound, Raditz yelled his little brother again. "You idiot, it eats soul energy! Ki!"  
  
"Then let 'em eat this!!" Goku replied. His aura flared once again and the ki in his hand shone more brightly. It expanded into a huge beam that surely filled the spider beast's stomach before washing over it completely. There was a resounding explosion and when the dust settled, the beast's remains lay splattered along the narrow valley walls.  
  
"Dammit, Kakarotto, what the hell have you been doing all this time?"  
  
"Kakarotto ja ne," the younger replied with a wave of his finger. "Ora Son Goku da."  
  
"Hai hai," Raditz said with a weary smile. "C'mon, little brother. With that kind of power, you can help me with the rest of these devils too. You might even want a job down here."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Three white streaks split the deep blue sky of early morning, heading straight towards Kami's lookout. One broke off and aimed down, coming to a halt in the pavilion of Karin's Tower to reveal a worried Trunks. The half-Saiyajin quickly ran down the side stairs and into the residential area.  
  
"Karin-san! Yajirobe-saAAHH!" Trunks stumbled back as a lightning quick slash opened the front of his shirt. "What's the big idea!?" he growled in response.  
  
"Oh...sorry, Trunks," Yajirobe apologized. The fat samurai's face was pale and his tone of voice seemed distant. Even though he stopped waving his katana in Trunks' face, the teen noticed that he didn't put it away. "I guess I'm a little on edge."  
  
"So you noticed it too, huh?"  
  
"How couldn't we?" Karin said, stepping out of a hallway. "It was right on top of us."  
  
"This close?" Trunks asked in surprise. "We couldn't tell where it was exactly and came here since it was in the general direction. But if that's true, then..."  
  
As if summoned by Trunks' line of thoughts, Goten and Vegeta descended from above. "Mr. Popo's gone," the younger man reported.  
  
"But there were signs of struggle deeper in the Tenkai," Vegeta added. "It looks like there was a fight, but no clue as to whether it was from someone trying to get in or out. Whatever happened, there's no one there now."  
  
"How far inside?" Karin asked sharply.  
  
The prince raised an eyebrow. "Right in the heart of it. Looked like some kind of treasure vault. Why, do you have an idea?"  
  
"Several," the cat replied gravely. "Any number of the items locked away in the Tenkai could pose a problem. I should know, since I helped put a couple in there. I think we'll have to go in and try to figure out what's missing."  
  
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Yajirobe said. "I sure as hell ain't goin' in there! I got the creeps as it is and I don't wanna be anywhere near here if that evil thing comes back!"  
  
"Any idea where it went?" Trunks inquired. "We lost track of it before showing up."  
  
"It went down," the samurai replied. "Straight from up there down to the forest."  
  
"The forest," Karin repeated. "Oh dear... Upa's tribe is down there!"  
  
"Who?" Goten asked.  
  
In short order, the senshi were educated as to the tribe of natives who guarded the sacred forest below. Upa, son of the previous tribe chief, was a mountain of a man with a heart of gold. It turns out that Upa was a childhood friend of Goku's and he was more than happy to answer some questions.  
  
The "great evil" had swept through small village and, fortunately, hadn't found anything of interest. Even the tribe's strongest warriors hesitated at the memory of that vile presence. Upa was embarrassed to admit that he ordered everyone to stay away from it until they knew its intentions and as it was, no one had gotten a good look.  
  
With no leads, the senshi decided to return home for the time being. "We may not know much, but make sure you tell Paresu everything we do next time you meet her," Vegeta had told the boys. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing this thing for ourselves soon enough."  
  
~~~~~  
  
In another part of Hell, two more voices could be heard in combat with the mutated monsters. Piccolo and Gohan were fighting another kind of beast, these mutated from oni. What they had seen at the checkpoint was only partially disfigured and would have become this given more time. Bathed in the evil essence, these oni were reduced to hulking brutes very much akin to gorillas. Their long arms dragged down and were covered in spikes too thick for the Senshi to punch through. With minimal intelligence hidden behind a face bearded by gnarly horns, they attacked anything that moved.  
  
Fortunately, Piccolo and Gohan were moving too fast for the ponderously slow oni to catch up. The Namek-seijin deftly leapt over a clumsy swing and two quick snap kicks rocked its head. He rolled over another swing and landed behind the oni, gathering his strength in one arm. The green man's muscles bulged in response and a crushing punch dug into the mutant's hunched back. Piccolo sprung away from the thrashing oni as it howled in pain. He was certain he damaged something vital, but the poor bastard was too far gone to care.  
  
"So be it," Piccolo spat. "I didn't want to waste this on the likes of you." He touched two taloned fingers to his forehead and concentrated, electricity sparking around him. The oni charged and the warrior pointed his fingers forward. "MAKKANKOUSAPPOU!" The screw beam easily penetrated the mutated oni's chest and exploded, blowing it to bits.  
  
"Kyaaaah!" came a shout from behind. Piccolo whirled to see Gohan being chased by another evil oni.  
  
They had been separated for a bit, unable to see each other amongst the floating boulders. Here, the monsters could leap from stone to stone and remain hidden despite their size, so the pair was carefully hunting for them. Now, the young half-Saiyajin bounced between the boulders, trying to remain out of the mutant's reach. He shot it from time to time, which clearly hurt the beast if its wild thrashing was any indication, but this also made it harder to dodge. Piccolo shot a ki bolt at the rocks it was standing on and the oni fell several stories before crashing into another boulder. Taking the opportunity presented, Gohan gathered his energy and assaulted the oni with a barrage of ki blasts. When he stopped, the smoldering corpse satisfied Gohan that it was dead.  
  
Gohan now flew over to Piccolo, smiling broadly. "Arigatou, Piccolo-san! You sure seem a lot stronger than I remember."  
  
The Namek-seijin shrugged, adjusting his mantle. "I fused with Kami to get some more power over Nagareboshi, but it wasn't enough. It's a shame, I wanted a rematch with your father."  
  
"Well you could always ask him when we're done here, right?"  
  
"Maybe I will, kid. Now let's go see if there are anymore of these oni." The two flew off, but Piccolo, in the back, looked uneasy. Thanks to his partial existence as Kami, he could sense things farther away and much clearer than the other Senshi could. As such, he now detected a powerful evil in the living world that seemed very familiar. [I hope Vegeta has that under control...]  
  
~~~~~  
  
The night was crisp and clear in West City. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and not even light from the city's nightlife could mask the brilliant stars. In the park, Goten was leaning against a tree, listening to the distant roar of people and automobiles as they went about their nocturnal business. Paresu was pulling double duty at work and her second shift didn't get out until midnight. It was past the appointed hour, but he didn't bother looking around for her to show up. Proud of her mastery of the Shunkan Idou, his girlfriend had taken to popping up out of thin air, so Goten knew she'd arrive with no advance warning.  
  
The raven-haired teen felt a chill run through his spine. Ever since that morning, he felt like someone was watching him. It was the sort of creeping dread that he remembered from the days training to fight Nagareboshi. To say he felt anxious would be a vast understatement. The later it took Paresu to arrive, the more Goten felt something was wrong. He started to pace around the tree, the soft padding of his footsteps sounding very loud in the stillness of the park.  
  
Suddenly, There was a rustle of movement somewhere in the deep shadows beneath the trees. The half-Saiyajin's ear pricked up, the enhanced senses of his heritage alerting him to a presence. Goten spun to face the source of the faint sound, his eyes casting about in the dark, trying to find something out of the ordinary.  
  
"Who's there?" Goten called out. "Show yourself!"  
  
For a long time, there was no answer. Goten could neither see nor hear the intruder, if there was one. Given the evidence, it seemed he was alone in the park with the brisk wind and dull, ceaseless roar of the city. Then again, there was movement and the teen was certain of it now. There was an outline of a cloaked figure, blacker than the blackness around him. The mysterious being approached, either floating or moving so gracefully as to cause no sound. Either way, it had a chilling effect on the already nervous youth.  
  
""Konbon wa, Son Goten,"" the being said at last. The strange harmonics of its voice once again reminded Goten of his old enemy. ""Beautiful evening, is it not?""  
  
The young man in question tensed, clenching and unclenching his fists. "I'm not really in the mood for small talk, _friend_. Make your point or get lost."  
  
""Tsk, youth these days. No respect for their elders."" The being shrugged under his cloak and Goten could see a crooked grin on his blue face. ""Sou da.""  
  
The figure rushed towards Goten and the teen was caught by surprise at his speed. The half-Saiyajin aimed a punch at his opponent's head, but just as the blow would have connected, his target disappeared. Goten would have been able to spot the movement if the figure dodged, but as it was, the cloaked man simply wasn't there. On a hunch, the teen swung a leg back and was satisfied to feel a definite impact with the resulting grunt of pain from his opponent.  
  
"If we have no respect, then you old guys are too predictable!" Goten barked.  
  
He pressed the attack, racing after his retreating opponent and swinging heavy punches into the cloaked being. Apparently unphazed by the onslaught, the being recovered his balance and countered by grabbing Goten's wrist, using the half-Saiyajin's own momentum to flip him on his back. The teen spun on the ground, trying to sweep the man's feet out from under him. But his opponent had already jumped and spun around, planting a foot in the young warrior's face. Propelled back, Goten slid along the wet grass until he slammed into a tree.  
  
Before the half-Saiyajin could recover, a beam of light struck out and surrounded him. Sealed in the same kinda of bubble that imprisoned Dende and Mr. Popo, it floated over to land in the cloaked figure's outstretched hand.  
  
Peering down into the magical glass, Garlic Junior grinned menacingly. ""I would enjoy nothing more than to absorb your power for my own, son of Goku. But these stolen memories have not lied; you are a formidable opponent. I fear you might do too much damage during the process. For now, you shall remain here.""  
  
Garlic's other hand appeared from within his cloak, holding a small crystal ball. The demon focused his energies into it and the crystal glowed in response, the distorted image within turning into the face of an old man with a bushy white mustache. His dusky skin was riddled with deep, craggy lines and his heavy brow made it seem the visage was carved from stone. But his dark, narrow eyes were very much alive and glared up at Garlic Junior from the crystal.  
  
"What is it now?" the old man growled indignantly. His voice was raspy and low, hushed in the way that a young boy speaks while reading under the covers with a flashlight past his bedtime. "Don't you trust me to uphold my end of the bargain?"  
  
""But of course, my dear Doctor Gero. You're hatred of Son Goku is as great as mine. I just wished to inform you that the youngest of these warriors has been neutralize and I advice that you do the same. Their brashness and inexperience makes them easier to get out of the way.""  
  
"I know how to do my damn job," Gero countered hotly. "But it would be a lot easier if I had better materials to work with down here. This magic of yours is hardly as effective as my science."  
  
""Whatever you say, doctor,"" Garlic Junior replied nonchalantly. ""Once the others here are taken care of, I will endeavor to open a portal, releasing you and my new minions from Hell.""  
  
"Then let's cut the chatter and get back to work. I've spent more than enough time down here, thank you very much."  
  
With that, the signal from Hell cut out and the crystal ball returned to its previous state. With a low chuckle, Garlic Junior melted back into the shadows. 


	39. Episode 39

Dragon Ball Yugure Z  
  
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction  
  
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)  
  
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. Sorry for taking so long on this one. Hopefully, I can get back into the groove and finish volume five before getting distracted again. ^o^```  
  
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.  
  
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.  
  
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.  
  
"dialogue"  
  
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)  
  
{alien language}  
  
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]  
  
_stressed words_  
  
*sounds*  
  
~scene change~  
  
Volume V -- Evil, Revisited  
  
Episode 39 -- Son Goten, Where Are You!? The Time For Revenge Is Now!!  
  
Hidden in the bowels of Hell, a fair distance from the commotion of battle, was a room cut deep into a mountain of obsidian. The light of a single candle flickered in this room, but that meager illumination was magnified by the walls of shiny black stone to a sufficient level. Shadows and reflections danced along the inky surface like tiny imps in a wicked ritual. Knowing that such things could be happening not far away did little to contradict this impression.  
  
This room's occupant had long grown accustomed to these conditions and he worked feverishly, without pause. A mane of coarse white hair settled on his head and shoulders like newly fallen snow and his face, crusty brown and lined with age, resembled a very old mountain. His small blue eyes darted and here and there as arthritic hands tinkered with the tools laying on a table roughly hewn straight from the mountain.  
  
Dr. Gero sighed inwardly as he worked. He could hear the din of combat outside his hideout, though it was still farther than it sounded since the rocky passages amplified sound. Regardless, that was still too close. The seemingly ancient scientist was hunched, looking over his latest creations. There were two figures laid out on the table; one was very tall while the other was far larger in girth. A large canvas covered them and hide their features, but one pale blue arm was exposed. Gero had a makeshift stone scalpel in hand and was cutting strange symbols into the being's flesh, swearing occasionally at the laboriously slow pace.  
  
In the stifling silence, a low hum like that of giant power lines filled the room. Gero turned and glared into the corner, where a dull purple glow had arisen. He crossed the room and picked up the crystal ball that was generating the glow. Contact with the object sent a ripple of energy coursing within the cloudy depths of the heavy orb and it eventually coalesced into the sneering blue face of a demon.  
  
"What is it now?" the old man growled indignantly. "Don't you trust me to uphold my end of the bargain?"  
  
""But of course, my dear Doctor Gero,"" Garlic Junior replied smoothly. It never ceased to irritate the scientist that his demonic partner could always act so indifferent. ""You're hatred of Son Goku is as great as mine. I just wished to inform you that the youngest of these warriors has been neutralized and I advise that you do the same. Their brashness and inexperience makes them easier to get out of the way.""  
  
"I know how to do my damn job," Gero countered hotly. "But it would be a lot easier if I had better materials to work with down here. This magic of yours is hardly as effective as my science."  
  
""Whatever you say, doctor,"" Garlic Junior replied nonchalantly. ""Once the others here are taken care of, I will endeavor to open a portal, releasing you and my new minions from Hell.""  
  
"Then let's cut the chatter and get back to work. I've spent more than enough time down here, thank you very much."  
  
With that, Gero let the crystal ball fall from his hands unceremoniously and the signal from Chikyuu cut out. Gero eyed the magical device, always wary that somehow Garlic Junior was somehow using it to spy on him. It wouldn't be the first time the mad scientist had allied himself with someone he neither liked nor trusted. But he didn't want to make it the last time either, so he put up with the demon's snobby attitude. Gero had outlived the colleagues that criticized him, just as he had outlived the Red Ribbon Army's destruction and planned to outlive Garlic Junior's ambitions.  
  
A loathsome turn of fate placed his hidden laboratory within the impact radius of Nagareboshi's arrival and in an instant, the scientist's life was snuffed out, over a decade of painstaking work annihilated. Gero was not really an evil man, but his morals and ethics had always been borderline. The overwhelming desire for revenge is ultimately what dragged him down to Hell, but this steadying force also let him keep himself after the soul-cleansing process. For another decade, Gero dwelt in the underworld growing stronger and experimenting with magic in place of science. It took time to master, but he was eventually confident enough to continue his work. Then 'the accident' happened and Hell was flooded with evil energy. His window of opportunity had come at last.  
  
Gero leaned over the taller of the two prone figures. He finished etching some runes onto the being's arm and they flashed, transmuting the necessary bits of flesh and bone into metal and wires. He didn't like magic, but it was effective. And he was almost done.  
  
~~~~~  
  
*ssshhhhhk! ssshhhhhk! ssshhhhhk!*  
  
The whet stone in Trunks' hand was starting wear down. He'd been sharpening his sword for nearly an hour now; not that his sword ever needed more than a cursory maintenance. Back during the early years of Nagareboshi's terrorization of Chikyuu, Bulma had experimented with various new technologies that might have given the Z Senshi an edge. Just about all of them, the devoted martial artists that they are, refused to use any kind of firearm, despite the woman's pleading.  
  
Yamucha once suggested making a sword, something he wasn't averse to using since he'd wielded one in his bandit days (a thought that made him quite wistful). Bulma was no swordsmith, but she experimented with special polymers normally used on spacecraft. As a result, she produced this single blade. It was simple of design and didn't have the best balance, but the new material held an edge far better than metal and it could withstand tremendous heat. But by then, the battle was already lost.  
  
As a child, Trunks found the sword in Bulma's old workshop, sitting in the corner and gathering dust. Vegeta didn't approve of weapons, but he never had the heart to take it away from the boy. It would forever remain one of a kind, as the exact methods of its genesis died with its creator. Since then, this lone blade has acted as a security blanket of sorts for the lavender-haired half-Saiyajin. But it provided no consolation for him now.  
  
Goten was missing.  
  
Since they were children, the raven-haired boy had always been like Trunks' shadow. Even after Goten discovered his father and found a girlfriend, he always stayed in touch. "Me an' Paresu are gonna catch a movie," he would say. Or: "Got caught up sparrin' with tousan; be back soon." But the Son boy had disappeared in the night, never returning from his appointment to see Paresu. When Trunks called the girl's home, no one answered the phone. He expected her brother to be working, but why didn't Paresu answer herself? Meanwhile, Vegeta had been scouring the city and scaring various citizens with his questioning, but to no avail.  
  
Goten was missing.  
  
Many such thoughts and questions drifted through Trunks' mind. So distracted was he that the young warrior never sensed a familiar ki approaching the house. The faint creaking of the kitchen door was the first signal that penetrated his sword-sharpening trance. Like a bolt of lightning, Trunks tore out of his room, down the hall, and into the kitchen, joined halfway from another part of the house by the similar blur of his father.  
  
And poor Paresu was caught up in the back draft of their rapid deceleration. Assorted small kitchen trinkets were flung around the room in the suddenly violent rush of air, and the chaos was punctuated by the dual cry of: "GOTEN!!!" Paresu had to cling to the door frame so as not to be washed outside and deposited on her rump. The startled girl climbed to her feet and eyed the pair of Saiyajin, then noticed the glint of Trunks' sword.  
  
"Gee, I sure wouldn't want to be Goten right now," she joked in a hesitant voice. Her eyes bounced between the two, seeing the obvious anxiety on their faces. Vegeta, realizing that he had been caught in a state of concern, quickly crossed his arms and turned away with a hasty 'che!' But the girl noticed how the prince's fingers dug into his biceps. "What's up with you two?"  
  
"Oh. It's just you, Paresu-kun," Trunks said with a sigh. He sheathed his sword with a ringing *shnik* and sat down at the table.  
  
"Domo, that really makes me feel welcome. So?" Paresu prodded, sitting across from the young man. "Question posed, answer appreciated."  
  
"Did you see Goten last night?" Trunks asked.  
  
"Iie, I was too busy at work. Sat down for a minute and just nodded off." Paresu scratched the back of her head--a habit she picked up from Goten--and laughed. "The boss took pity on me and gave me today off, which is why I'm here." But then something occurred to her and she leaned forward over the table, a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. "What's wrong with Goten-kun?"  
  
"We don't know and that's the problem. He just...disappeared. We searched all over, but there isn't a damn trace of him anywhere." Trunks slammed his fist down on the table and Paresu was afraid he'd smash it to pieces.  
  
The girl ran her fingers through her chocolate brown hair, eyebrows knit together. "Could...could it be that there's someone...someone strong enough to beat Goten-kun? Is there anyone left besides you guys who's that strong?"  
  
"Shirimasen," the young man sitting across from her admitted. "If that's the case, then the fight was over so fast that Goten didn't have time to raise his ki to a level that we could detect. And...I don't want to think about that, because that means..." but he trailed off. Trunks' teeth ground together and a vein stood out on his temple. It was the same vein as his father's, the kind that only popped out when something was desperately amiss. "No, I don't know anything anymore. It's like some malevolent god is toying with us, getting his kicks from seeing us stumble around in the dark."  
  
A low murmur caught the two teens' attention and they both looked back at Vegeta, who was leaning against the wall. His mouth was hanging open slightly, as if he was about to speak. But then his jaw shut with an audible click.  
  
"Doshita, papa?"  
  
The Saiyajin no Ouji shook his head and smiled ruefully, as if trying to banish a silly thought. "A long time ago, the Saiyajin had a god that they prayed to for victory. I say 'they' because like my father, I only ever believed in my own strength. I never had time for silly superstitions. I can't even remember his name. But now...heh...I can't help but wonder if we're being punished as heretics."  
  
Trunks frowned. "I have no time for gods. Not when I have to search for my friend. Paresu, can you lock onto him with the Shunkan Idou technique?"  
  
"I can sure as hell try," Paresu replied. She placed two fingers to her forehead and closed her eyes in concentration. An apprehensive silence settle onto the room as the two men watched her intently. Several minutes passed and the only sound was the soft tick tock of the wall clock. The girl's brow furrowed and her eyes opened. "I think I've got something!"  
  
The father and son rushed forward to take the arm she offered and they were gone in a blink. Miles away, the trio reappeared in a clearing in some random park of West Capital.  
  
"There's nothing here," Trunks said in disappointment.  
  
"No, there's something," his father corrected. Vegeta was kneeling some feet away, hand hovering over a spot where something had collided with the lawn and torn up much of the grass. The side of a nearby tree appeared to have a dent in it and splinters of bark littered the ground.  
  
"I sensed a trace of Goten-kun's ki, but not much," Paresu said. She looked around, noticing some birds and a couple kids playing on the sidewalk a ways off. Nothing out of the ordinary. "We come to this park sometimes because there's a guy who sells good lemonade on the weekends. I think this is where we were going to meet last night."  
  
"Looks like Goten was ambushed," the lavender-haired teen said, now standing by his father.  
  
The prince stood and wiped his pants clear of grass and dirt. "But there's no blood. No burns anywhere. Didn't seem to be much of a fight."  
  
"So we're back where we started. Goten-kun's missing and we have no clues," Paresu lamented.  
  
Vegeta crossed his arms again, but he looked more thoughtful than angry. "Something evil came out of the Tenkai. Popo and the new Kami are gone. Now Goten too. I don't see any kind of a pattern. Kuso..."  
  
As the remaining Z Senshi talked amongst themselves, something was hiding in the bushes. Garlic Junior observed them carefully, quietly. He didn't recognize the one with spiky black hair, but the blue demon could tell that he was the strongest. The girl didn't seem to be of any consequence. That teleportation trick she used to get them here looked interesting, but he wasn't in any rush to take it for himself. No, the one that looked most appealing him was the younger man. He had the same kind of power as Son Goten; too strong to assimilate outright, but not so strong that Garlic Junior still couldn't capture him.  
  
The demon's lips twisted into a strange, crazed grin.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Two figures stood on the summit of a mountain of obsidian. One was very tall while the other was far larger in girth. They both wore similar armor with winged shoulder pads, but the taller one had a blue cape that flapped in the breeze. It was a hot breeze, hot and unpleasant, that carried the stink of smoke and blood and evil. Hell normally wasn't the place of fire and brimstone that some like to think it was, but that concept had become a reality in such a short time. As the Z Senshi fought to subdue the hordes of mutated spirits and oni, these two figures observed from their lofty vantage point.  
  
Sunken black eyes scanned the mountainous foothills, tracking the Senshi's progress. Despite the distance, Dodoria could see them as plain as day. Where he once needed a Scouter even to detect power levels, his eyes alone could do so much more now. Small servos and lenses behind the retina magnified the image of a tall Namek-seijin and his human charge fighting past a nest of spider demons.  
  
Dodoria focused on the boy, who had a crown of wild black hair and wore the same purple gi as the Namek-seijin. The hair was different and he was older, but the face was unmistakable. This was the boy that had humiliated the pink alien warrior on Planet Namek so long ago.  
  
Purple lips spread, revealing a wicked sneer. "I know him," Dodoria began, drawing his partner's attention. Zarbon turned to look in the direction Dodoria indicated with an accusing talon. "That human sucker-punched, er, kicked me." The bulky warrior drew his hands up in shaking fists. "I'm going to get my revenge right now."  
  
"Very well," Zarbon said. "You should be able to handle those two yourself. I see another group over to the east." The blue alien smirked. "Two humans; it shouldn't take long."  
  
"If you see a short bald one, break a couple ribs for me. That little gaki almost blinded me."  
  
Zarbon laughed. "Little buggers got the best of you, eh? Let's be off then. The sooner we squash these weaklings, the sooner Gero and Garlic Junior will get us out of this hole."  
  
Both aliens took off into the sky. When they were alive, truly alive and not animated by this autonomous half-life granted to them by Gero's experiments, their fiery auras would leave a streak of white across the sky. However, there was nothing to indicate their passing but a chilly breeze that would make one's skin goose-bumpy.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Piccolo tore off the spider-demon's pincer tail and whipped it around like a scourge. Lashing the whining beast again and again, he managed to rip open its tough hide and even take off a claw. Finally, he wrapped the stolen appendage around the demon's neck and stood on its back, choking the monster to death. With a sharp twist, its neck snapped and collapsed to the ground.  
  
Gohan was having a far easier time fighting these creatures than the mutant oni. Once they learned that using ki attacks were counterproductive, the young half-Saiyajin's speed and agility proved to be an advantage over the clumsy spiders. He ran circles around them, a feat which became increasingly easier as he truncated their legs one by one. A single crushing blow to the vulnerable underbelly would release a cascade of ichor and the demon would quickly bleed to death, freeing the teenage warrior to take down the next.  
  
"You're doing well, Gohan," the tall green man said. He ruffled the boy's hair in a paternal manner, proud of his student's progress. "Pretty soon, I think you'll be a match for your father."  
  
The half-Saiyajin grinned in response, looking up at his mentor. He was surprised to see a genuine smile on that normally stoic face. He was even more surprised when a large booted foot struck Piccolo in the back of the head. "PICCOLO-SAN!!" he cried, watching as the Namek-seijin crashed several meters away.  
  
Gohan barely had time to turn around and shout at his mentor's attacker when said warrior rushed forward with a ham-fisted blow. The boy jumped back as gravel from the fractured ground bounced off his chest. He looked into the angry pink face that glared back at him and recognized the puffy cheeks and spiked brow.  
  
"I kicked the Namek-seijin to make a point," Dodoria sneered. "But I'll take my time and enjoy squashing _you_!"  
  
The young warrior recovered from his surprise at seeing this old villain and regained his composure, easily blocking the pink alien's heavy blows. They were slow, but still seemed just as strong as the child with the bad haircut remembered seeing all those years ago.  
  
"Why are you here?" Gohan demanded. "I though you would have escaped with Freeza!"  
  
"I SHOULD HAVE!" the bloated warrior shouted. He fired a blast of red ki that Gohan back flipped over to avoid, landing a safe distance away. Dodoria didn't pursue him immediately, instead stomping his feet in frustration. "But that bastard left me behind! I swore my allegiance and in return, he kicked me to the street like garbage!" Dodoria huffed for a moment, then chuckled. "But now I have a new power and a new boss. I won't waste this second chance, so first I'll get my revenge on you, and then Freeza."  
  
"Sou ka?" replied the youth. He dropped into a fighting stance, confident in his power. The fear the Gohan felt no longer existed, replaced with a certainty that he'd grown stronger than Dodoria had in the intervening time since their last confrontation. "Maybe I'll just have to rain on your pity parade by stopping you here and now. I ran from you back then, but you're no match for me now. What kind of power could you gain in Hell that makes you so egotistical?"  
  
"Ho ho ho," Dodoria laughed, sounding like a demented Santa Claus. The pink alien was just as confident in himself as Gohan was, so he felt a little bragging was in order. "A very interesting kind of power. You didn't sense me, did you? You still can't, can you?"  
  
There was something in those beady black eyes that sent a shiver down Gohan's spine. What Dodoria said was true: the boy couldn't sense him. But that didn't make sense because in Anoyo, their bodies were only illusion. Here, the soul was bare and his ki should be standing out like a lighthouse on a foggy night. Instead, Gohan could sense nothing. He could see the pink alien as plain as day, but for all intensive purposes, the creature just wasn't there. He glanced helplessly at the crumbled form of Piccolo's body.  
  
Dodoria saw the cogs turning in the boy's head and laughed that dark laugh. He took a threatening step forward and growled like a mad dog. "That's right. Fear me, boy. The power that old man Gero gave me is beyond your comprehension. I won't just destroy you; I'll eat your pitiful little soul."  
  
"That's enough of that," came a gruff reply. Both warriors snapped their heads around to see Piccolo rising from the ground as if nothing happened.  
  
"P-Piccolo-san!" the youth cheered.  
  
"Sorry to leave you hanging like that, Gohan. I guessed this fat pink freak would speak easier if he thought the stronger of us was already down for the count." The Namek-seijin turned his head to face the other alien and smirked grimly. "But I won't let that cowardly attack go unpunished. Now that I've heard everything I needed to hear, I'll destroy you and we can move on."  
  
Dodoria gritted his teeth, gathering balls of energy in his hands.  
  
On the other side of the mountain that housed Gero's little workshop, a similar conversation was taking place. Zarbon wasn't as quick to divulge his secrets as his pink partner, nor had he resorted to cheap sneak attacks. He confronted the two humans head-on like a civilized man, but there was no doubt that he would fight just as ruthlessly.  
  
"Dodoria asked me to make sure you suffered," said the tall blue alien. He brushed some strands of seaweed-colored hair from his brow.  
  
Kuririn flinched and took a step backwards when Yamucha put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't sweat it, pal," he reassured the shorter man. He flashed a thumbs-up with his other hand. "We can take this guy down together."  
  
"H-hai," replied the ex-monk. His fear assuaged, Kuririn assumed a fighting stance that mirrored Yamucha's. "I won't run from goons like you anymore!"  
  
"How very nice for you," Zarbon responded, unimpressed by the bald man's renewed bravado. "And how nice for me as well, because I certainly don't want to fight a couple of cowards." The tall alien's golden cat-like eyes closed slowly and dramatically, and when they opened again, they were filled with icy malice. "Come then, and I will guide you to oblivion." 


End file.
